BRIEF  HISTORY 


&s£. 


MM! 


^^^y^^mS^^gm^wM^^m 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

<> 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


A 

BRIEF   HISTORY 

OF  THE 

CHURCH   OF  JESUS  CHRIST 
OF  LATTER-DAY  SAINTS 


From  the  Birth  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith 
to  the  Present  Time. 


By  EDWARD-fl.  ANDERSON  >  I«T1 

Author  of  the  "Life  of  Brigham  Young,"  "Spiritual  Growth,"  "The  Apostles  of  Jesus 
Christ,"  "Conduct,  Courage  and  Success,"  etc. 


"And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a 
kingdom  which  shall  never  be  destroyed." — Daniel  2:44. 


Published  by  the  Missions  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 

in  the  United  States 

CENTRAL  STATES  MISSION— 302  S.  Pleasant  St.,  Independence,  Mo. 
WESTERN  STATES  MISSION  538  East  7th  Ave.,  Denver,  Colo. 
SOUTHERN  STATES  MISSION— 350  Woodward  Ave.,  Atlanta,  Ga. 
EASTERN  STATES  MISSION— 273  Gates  Ave.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
NORTHERN  STATES  MISSION— 2555  N.  Sawyer  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
NORTHWESTERN  STATES  MISSION— 810  E.  Madison  St.,  Portland,  Ore. 
CALIFORNIA  MISSION— 153  W.  Adams  St.,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 
MEXICAN  MISSION— 3531  Fort  Blvd.,  El  Paso,  Texas,  U.  S.  A. 
CANADIAN  MISSION— 36  Ferndale  Avenue,  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada. 
HAWAIIAN  MISSION— P.  O.  Box  410,  Honolulu,  T.  H. 
BUREAU  OF  INFORMATION— Temple  Block,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

Press  of  Zion's  Printing  and  Publishing  Co.,  Independence,  Jackson  Co.,  Mo. 


PREFACE  TO  THE   SECOND   EDITION. 

This  little  volume,  containing  a  brief  outline  of  the  history  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  was  first  printed  in  Sep- 
tember, 1893,  being  written,  as  was  its  companion  volume,  "The  Life 
of  Brigham  Young,"  at  the  request  of  the  late  Apostle  Abraham  H. 
Cannon,  to  whom,  as  publisher  and  patron,  local  literature  must  ever 
remain  largely  indebted. 

To  aid  the  reader  in  obtaining  a  clear  understanding  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Gospel,  in  connection  with  the  history  of  the  people  who 
were  instrumental  in  establishing  it,  references  were  freely  made  to  the 
Doctrine  and  Covenants  containing  the  revelations  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith  for  the  building  up  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  last 
days. 

In  conjunction  with  his  own  experience,  the  author,  disclaiming 
originality  save  in  the  weaving,  gathered  his  facts,  in  sketching  these 
main  outlines  of  the  faith,  work,  travels  and  persecutions  of  the  Saints, 
from  a  large  number  of  reliable  authorities  on  the  subject.  Accuracy 
was  aimed  at,  as  well  as  completeness  as  far  as  the  limited  space  would 
allow. 

Two  leading  aims  were  kept  in  view  in  its  compilation,  viz.:  first, 
to  create  an  interest  in  the  hearts  of  the  youth  of  the  Church  in  the  mar- 
velous faith,  work,  toils  and  sacrifices  of  the -founders  of  this  great, 
latter-day  religious  fabric;  secondly,  to  provide  a  handy  medium  from 
which  that  large  class  of  visitors  and  other  persons,  who  have  neither 
time  nor  inclination  to  read  the  more  ponderous  books  on  the  subject, 
might  obtain,  from  an  authentic  source,  desired  information  on  "Mor- 
monism." 

That  the  design  has  proved  successful  is  shown  by  the  favor  with 
which  the  work  has  been  received  by  the  public,  to  whom  this  second  and 
revised  edition,  with  six  added  chapters  covering  the  past  decade,  is 
now  respectfully  presented. 

THE  AUTHOR. 
Salt  Lake  City,  January,  1902. 


PREFACE  TO   THE  1920  EDITION. 

Many  reprints  have  been  made  of  the  1902  edition  of  this  little 
book.  This,  the  third  edition,  has  been  subject  to  such  revisions  as 
recent  events  demanded. 

A  short  and  very  inadequate  chapter  has  been  added,  covering  the 
wonderful  period  of  growth  and  development  during  the  seventeen- 
year  administration  of  President  Joseph  F.  Smith;  whereas,  the  larger 
treatment  which  the  subject  should  receive,  would  merit  a  volume  in 
itself,  to  say  nothing  of  the  auspicious  beginning  of  the  incumbency  of 
President  Heber  J.  Grant. 

THE  AUTHOR. 
Salt  Lake  City,  December,  1920. 

Copyrighted  by  Joseph   F.  Smith. 


BANCROFT 

LIBRARY 

CONTENTS. 


I. — From  the  Prophet's  Birth  to  the  Organization  of  the  Church. 

1805-1830. 
Chapter  Page 

1.  "A  Marvelous  Work  and  a  Wonder" 5 

2.  Message  from  on  High . 9 

3.  The  Sacred  Hill  Cumorah  and  its  Treasures 14 

4.  Translating  the  Record 17 

5.  Important  Revelations 20 

II. — From  the   Organization  to  the   Flight  from  Kirtland. 
1830-1838. 

1.  Organization  of  the  Church 24 

2.  Manifestations  and  Persecutions 25 

3.  Mission  to  the  Lamanites 30 

4.  Removal  of  the  Church  to  Ohio 35 

5.  The  Law  of  Consecration 36 

6.  Locating  the  Land  of  Zion 38 

7.  Progress  in  Kirtland  and  in  the  East 41 

8.  Expulsion  from  Jackson  County 44 

9.  High  Council  Organized 47 

10.  Zion's  Camp 49 

11.  Apostles  and  Seventies  Chosen... 51 

12.  Departure  from  Clay  County — Kirtland — Failures  and  Apos- 

tasy— English  Mission 54 

III. — From  the  Missouri  Exodus  to  the  Martyrdom. 
1838-1844. 

1.  Banishment  from  Missouri — Founding  of  Nauvoo 58 

2.  Lowering  Clouds 71 

3.  The  Martyrdom 74 

IV. — The  Church  Under  Brigham  Young. 
1844-1877. 

1.  Agreement  to  Leave  Nauvoo 78 

2.  Expelled  from  Illinois 81 


Chapter  Page 

3.  Two  Military  Pictures ,. 84 

4.  The  Pioneers  and  First  Companies 90 

5.  Migration  of  the  Main  Body  West 93 

6.  Colonization >. 97 

7.  Utah  Territory  Organized — Events  following 100 

8.  Events  from   1854-1857 106 

9.  The  Utah  Expedition 109 

10.  A  Period  of  Recuperation 114 

11.  Official  Crusade — Death  of  President  Young 118 

V.— From  the  Death  of  President  Young,  in  1877,  to  1901. 

1.  John  Taylor  Chosen  Leader.. 123 

2.  The  Edmunds-Tucker  Agitation — Death  of  President  Taylor 

in  Exile 125 

3.  Changed  Conditions— Wilf or d  Woodruff  President 127 

4.  The  Temples  of  the  Saints ...129 

5.  Utah  Admitted  to  the  Union  of  States 133 

6.  The  Pioneer  Jubilee 136 

7.  Utah  in  the  War  with  Spain 139 

8.  Death  of  President  Wilford  Woodruff '. 142 

9.  President  Lorenzo  Snow's  Administration 145 

VI. — Progress   and   Growth  Under   President   Joseph   F.   Smith. 

1.  Joseph  F.  Smith  Chosen  President.... :...152 

2.  The  Bureau  of  Information 154 

3.  Church  Building     T 156 

4.  Growth  of  the  Church 158 

5.  Political    Affairs.. 162 

6.  The  Great  War    166 

7.  Changes  in  the  General  Authorities : 172 

8.  The  Passing  of  President  Smith _ 176 

9.  Heber  Jeddy  Grant  Chosen  President , 179 

10.  Conclusion....                                                                                  ....181 


A  Brief  History  of  the  Church 


FROM  THE  PROPHET'S  BIRTH  TO  ITS 
ORGANIZATION,  1805-1830. 

1.     "A  Marvelous  Work  and  a  Wonder." 

With  the  age  of  freedom  in  religion,  that  followed  the  flight 
of  Luther  from  the  debauched  court  of  Pope  Leo  X,  came  also 
the  age  of  skepticism — not  alone  skepticism,  but  hypocrisy. 
While  the  revolution  in  theology,  inaugurated  by  the  reformers, 
shattered  the  thought-monoply  which  had  been  concentrated 
in  the  pope,  it  likewise  created  such  diversities  of  opinion,  and  so 
many  leaders  in  religion,  that  the  world  of  mankind  were  literal- 
ly ' 'children,  tossed  to  and  fro,  and  carried  about  with  every 
wind  of  doctrine,  by  the  sleight  of  men,  and  cunning  craftiness, 
whereby  they  lie  in  wait  to  deceive." 

There  was  no  universally  acknowledged  head  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  It  is  true  that,  since  the  death  or  martyrdom  of 
the  apostles  of  Christ,  God  had  acknowledged  no  authority  on 
the  earth.  All  had  apostatized  from  the  true  gospel,  and  the 
apostles,  prophets,  evangelists,  pastors  and  teachers,  which 
Christ  had  acknowledged  or  commissioned,  were  no  more  to 
be  found,  the  Christian  bishops  had  departed  from  the  simple 
ordinances  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  instead  had  introduced 
Jewish  and  Pagan  observances,  ceremonies  and  mysteries, 
for  the  purpose  of  gaining  friends.  For  centuries,  all  Chris- 
tians— often  through  compulsion,  however — had  acknowledged 
the  pope  as  the  vicegerent  of  God,  and  had  recognized  his 
authority.  But  the  sweep  of  the  reformation  broke  this  power 
over  men.  Following  Luther,  Zwingli,  Calvin  and  Cranmer, 


6  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

arose  a  hundred  leaders  in  religion,  who,  disregarding  the  in- 
junction, "And  no  man  taketh  this  honor  unto  himself,  but 
he  that  is  called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron,"  set  themselves  up  as 
officers  in  the  Church  of  Christ.  The  reformation  broke  the 
power  of  popedom,  and  gave  to  men  the  blessed  right  to  private 
judgment;  but,  going  one  step  further,  the  Protestants,  like  the 
Catholics,  from  whom  they  had  emancipated  themselves, 
usurped  authority,  for  nowhere  is  there  a  record  nor  even  a  pro- 
fession made,  that  authority  was  conferred  by  revelation  from 
God  or  the  ministration  of  angels,  the  only  known  methods 
by  which  it  could  be  done,  upon  anyone  to  act  in  His  name.* 

This  disregard  of  authority  brought  with  it  a  train  of  many 
evils,  chief  among  which  were  hypocrisy,  and  a  service  of  form 
instead  of  a  worship  from  the  heart.  So  continued  the  condi- 
tion of  the  people  almost  three  hundred  years,  from  the  refor- 
mation to  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  Prophet  Isaiah  foresaw  this  period  and  declared  of  the 
people  of  the  earth  at  this  time:  "Wherefore  the  Lord  said, 
Forasmuch  as  this  people  draw  near  me  with  their  mouth,  and 
with  their  lips  do  honor  me,  but  have  removed  their  hearts  far 
from  me,  and  their  fear  toward  me  is  taught  by  the  precept  of 
men:  therefore,  behold,  I  will  proceed  to  do  a  marvelous  work 
among  this  people,  even  a  marvelous  work  and  a  wonder;  for 
the  wisdom  of  their  wise  men  shall  perish,  and  the  understand- 
ing of  their  prudent  men  shall  be  hid."** 

This  "marvelous  work  and  a  wonder"  which  the  Lord  was 
to  accomplish,  was  the  restoration  of  his  authority  unto  men, 
and  the  establishment  and  organization  of  his  authorized 
Church  upon  the  earth,  as  predicted  anciently  by  the  Prophet 
Daniel,  and  by  John  the  Revelator: 

"As  for  thee,  O  king,  thy  thoughts  came  into  thy  mind 
upon  thy  bed,  what  should  come  to  pass  hereafter:  and  he  that 
revealeth  secrets  maketh  known  to  thee  what  shall  come  to 

pass And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the  God  of 

heaven  set  up  a  kingdom,  which  shall  never  be  destroyed: 


*It  is  said  that  Roger  Williams  refused  to  continue  as  pastor  over  the  largest  Baptist 
church  in  this  country,  because  there  was  "no  regularly  constituted  church  on  earth,  nor 
any  person  authorized  to  administer  any  church  ordinance;  nor  can  there  be,  until  new 
apostles  are  sent  by  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church,  for  whose  coming  I  am  seeking." — 
See  "Picturesque  America,"  page  502. 
**Isaiah  29:13,  14. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  7 

and  the  kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it  shall 
break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and  it  shall 
stand  forever.*'* 

"And  I  saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having 
the  everlasting  Gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the 
earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people, 
saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him;  for 
the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come;  and  worship  him  that  made 
heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters."** 

The  words  of  John  the  Revelator  explain  how  the  gospel 
was  to  be  restored.  It  was  to  be  done  in  the  same  way  that 
God  adopted  in  ancient  times,  as  recorded  in  the  holy  scrip- 
ture, by  the  visitation  of  angels  and  by  revelation.  Save 
through  these  channels,  how  could  Jehovah  make  known  his 
will  to  men?  As  in  the  days  of  the  apostles,  so  in  modern  times 
— the  household  of  God  was  to  be  "built  upon  the  foundation 
of  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief 
corner  stone."  Its  officers  were  to  be  in  possession  of  the  gifts 
and  of  "the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelation." 

In  the  midst  of  all  the  uncertainty  and  chaos  of  opinion, 
God  was  to  reveal  himself,  and  out  of  conflict  establish 
peace,  out  of  disorder,  union  and  oneness  of  purpose,  so  that, 
as  formerly,  there  might  be  "One  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism, 
one  God  and  Father  of  all,"  etc. 

The  beginning  of  this  "marvelous  work"  was  inaugurated 
in  the  dawn  of  the  nineteenth  century,  when  God  revealed 
himself  personally  and  by  the  visitation  of  angels,  to  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  and  chose  him  to  be  the  leader  of  the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  fulness  of  times,  and  to  be  the  instrument  to  in- 
troduce the  gospel  of  Christ  by  authority — to  establish  and 
organize  the  true  Church  of  God  in  the  latter  days. 

Through  that  prophet  was  brought  forth  the  wonderful 
record  called  the  Book  of  Mormon — a  book  which  contains 
a  fulness  of  the  gospel  as  taught  by  our  beloved  Savior.  More 
than  forty  editions  of  this  work  have  been  printed — many 
thousands  of  volumes — and  scattered  broadcast  to  the  English 
speaking  world,  while  its  precious  truths  have  been  read  by 


*Daniel  2:29,  44. 
**Revelation'  14:6,  7. 


8  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

thousands  in  each  of  the  seventeen  foreign  languages  into  which 
the  book  has  been  translated. 

The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was  or- 
ganized on  the  6th  day  of  April,  1830,  in  the  town  of  Fayette, 
Seneca  county,  New  York.  It  is  built  upon  the  rock  of  revela- 
tion, and  through  this  means,  its  officers  have  received  au- 
thority from  God  to  act  in  their  callings  and  enjoy  the  gifts  and 
powers  of  the  gospel,  as  was  the  case  with  the  ancient  apostles. 
Its  mission  is  one  of  peace;  its  aims  and  objects  the  preparation 
of  the  people  for  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  the  inauguration 
of  the  Millennium  and  the  establishment  of  the-  universal 
brotherhood  of  man. 

"But  we  do  not  believe  this  claim;  it  is  visionary,  impos- 
sible!" say  some  of  the  readers.  "It  cannot  be  possible  that 
this  is  the  'marvelous  work'  spoken  of  and  foreseen  by  the 
ancient  seer." 

In  reply,  it  must  be  said  that  such  is  the  claim  of  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints,  or  the  "Mormons,"  as  they  are  erroneously 
called.  If  they  are  justly  entitled  to  it,  their  history  for  the 
past  one  hundred  years  should  partially  demonstrate  the  fact. 
Their  doctrines  speak  for  themselves. 

Who  shall  deny  that  the  Saints  are  entitled  to  the  claim 
they  make  when  a  review  is  taken  of  the  record  of  the  accomp- 
lishments of  this  strange  people? 

From  forty  members,  in  1830,  the  following  of  the  Church 
today  has  grown  to  hundreds  of  thousands.  In  the  beginning 
it  had  the  Prophet  Joseph  alone  to  declare  its  doctrines,  now 
it  has  missionaries  in  all  liberal  nations  of  the  earth.  It  has 
prospered  through  the  fire  of  severest  persecution.  Driven, 
peeled  and  scattered,  their  Prophet  and  Patriarch  basely  mur- 
dered for  their  testimonies,  its  members  have  rallied  with  each 
onslaught,  and  pressed  on  with  the  work  with  greater  force 
and  power  than  before.  It  counts  its  martyrs  by  the  score,  its 
heroes  and  heroines  by  the  thousands.  Driven  from  their 
homes  in  Illinois,  they  were  marvelously  sustained  by  God 
in  their  wonderful  exodus  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  this 
wilderness  of  the  West,  the  rich  blessings  of  the  Lord  have  fol- 
lowed them  in  the  establishment  of  one  of  the  most  prosperous, 
thrifty  and  happy  commonwealths  of  our  nation.  To  it  have 
been  gathered  tens  of  thousands  of  the  poor  from  the  nations 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  9 

of  the  earth  to  build  up  and  beautify  the  latter-day  Zion, 
virtually  fulfilling  the  prediction:  "And  many  people  shall  go 
and  say,  Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the 
Lord,  to  the  House  of  the  God  of  Jacob;  and  he  will  teach  us 
of  his  ways,  and  we  will  walk  in  his  paths:  for  out  of  Zion  shall 
go  forth  the  law,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem."* 
And  this  one:  "The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  shall  be 
glad  for  them;  and  the  desert  shall  rejoice,  and  blossom  as  the 
rose."** 

Temples,  schools,  houses  of  worship,  cities  and  villages 
have  sprung  up  in  the  thirsty  wilderness,  and  the  result  of  the 
faith,  the  thrift  and  the  labor  of  this  peculiar  people  may  be 
seen  in  their  beautiful  homes,  gardens,  fields,  herds  and  posses- 
sions, in  the  whole  region  of  the  great  West ;  while  the  religious 
truths  promulgated  by  them,  without  money  or  pay,  are  taking 
root,  yea  bearing  fruit,  not  alone  in  their  own  midst  but  even 
among  the  heathen  and  in  every  Christian  land.  Having  dis- 
carded dead  forms,  the  members  of  this  Church  worship  from 
the  heart  and  point  to  a  living  faith,  fully  sustained  by  noble 
works.  Their  Church  organization  is  unsurpassed,  their  govern- 
ment unequaled  in  modern  annals.  They  build  temples  for 
the  worship  of  God  and  for  the  performance  of  ordinances  for 
the  living  and  the  dead,  and  the  path  of  their  persecutions,  as 
well  as  the  land  which  they  now  peacefully  inhabit,  is  dotted 
by  these  holy  structures.  Everything  about  them  points  to 
the  peculiar  people  that  were  to  be  established  in  the  latter 
days — their  whole  career  is  a  "marvelous  work  and  a  wonder." 

2.     A  Message  from  on  High. 

Joseph  Smith,  the  Mormon  Prophet,  and  the  founder  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  was  born  in 
Sharon,  Windsor  county,  Vermont,  on  the  23rd  day  of  Decem- 
ber, 1805.  When  the  lad  was  ten  years  of  age,  his  parents, 
Joseph  Smith,  Sen.,  and  Lucy,  his  wife,  removed  from  Vermont 
to  Palmyra,  Ontario,  now  Wayne  county,  New  York.  Four 
years  later  the  family  moved  into  Manchester  in  the  same  coun- 


*Isaiah   2:3. 
**Isaiab  35:1. 


10  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

ty.  The  elder  Smith  was  an  honest  farmer,  with  humble  sur- 
roundings, in  straitened  financial  circumstances,  having  lost 
much  of  his  property  through  the  treachery  of  a  trusted  friend. 
He  had  seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  Joseph,  the 
Prophet,  was  the  fourth  child. 

At  this  period,  Western  New  York  was  a  new  country  in 
most  respects;  Ohio  and  Illinois  were  yet  a  wilderness,  and  be- 
yond Missouri,  which  was  then  the  limit  of  the  United  States, 
lay  the  practically  unexplored  western  regions  of  the  wild 
Indian  tribes. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  frontier  region  of  the  great  Empire 
State  were  poor,  plain  in  their  living  and  dress,  generally  relig- 
ious, or  spiritually  inclined,  read  the  Bible,  went  to  church,  and 
lived  in  all  respects,  excepting  the  religious,  much  like  the  pio- 
neer of  the  great  West — a  familiar  character  which  two  decades 
ago  was  fast  disappearing  from  our  land — had  continued  to 
live  up  to  that  day.  There  was  doubtless  more  religion,  as  it 
is  called,  in  the  life  of  the  early  frontiersman  than  in  that  of  the 
later  pioneer  of  the  West.  A  hundred  years  ago,  the  various 
and  conflicting  sects  went  enthusiastically  wild  in  their  camp 
meetings  and  revivals — much  of  which  excitement  has  died 
out  by  the  promulgation  of  common-sense  religious  views  since 
then.  About  two  years  after  the  Smith  family's  removal  to 
Manchester,  there  was  a  great  religious  revival  in  the  district 
thereabout.  Multitudes  united  themselves  to  the  numerous 
creeds,  and  when  there  were  no  further  proselytes  to  make, 
priests  and  converts  turned  upon  each  other  to  contend  con- 
cerning principles  and  dogmas,  until  excessive  confusion  and 
bad  feeling  prevailed. 

Members  of  the  Smith  family  were  divided,  some  joining 
one  society  and  others  another.  Young  Joseph  inclined  to  the 
Methodists,  but  his  mind  was  in  a  state  of  uneasiness  owing  to 
the  disunion  which  existed.  For  this  cause,  he  kept  himself 
aloof  from  all  parties,  "awaiting  the  hour  when  the  divine 
message  should  stir  the  waters  of  his  soul."  In  the  midst  of 
the  surrounding  tumult,  he  often  said  to  himself:  "What  is 
to  be  done?  Who  of  all  these  parties  are  right;  or,  are  they  all 
wrong  together?  If  any  of  them  be  right,  which  is  it,  and  how 
shall  I  know  it?" 

In  this  frame  of  mind,  he  was  one  day  reading  the  Epistle 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  11 

of  James,  the  first  chapter  and  fifth  verse:  "If  any  of  you  lack 
wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally, 
and  upbraideth  not;  and  it  shall  be  given  him."  Here  was  new 
inspiration;  he  had  never  thought  of  his  condition  in  this 
light  before.  Certainly  God,  the  Father  of  religion,  could 
impart  the  truth.  The  youth  determined  to  inquire  of  that 
unfailing  Source;  and  so,  on  a  beautiful  morning,  in  the  spring 
of  1820,  he  retired  to  a  sylvan  glade  in  the  woods  to  call  upon 
the  name  of  God.  Finding  himself  alone  he  bended  his  knees, 
offering  up  to  his  Maker  the  desires  of  his  heart  vocally  for 
the  first  time.  Then  a  mysterious  power  of  darkness  overcame 
him;  he  could  not  speak;  his  soul  was  filled  with  a  horror  pre- 
saging instant  destruction.  He  felt  himself  in  the  grasp  of  an 
unseen  being  of  darkness.  His  soul  went  up  in  unuttered  prayer 
for  deliverance,  and  as  he  was  about  despairing,  the  gloom  rolled 
away,  he  saw  a  pillar  of  light  descending  from  heaven,  and  ap- 
proaching him.  The  darkness  fled  with  the  enemy  that  had 
afflicted  him.  As  the  light  fell  upon  the  prostrate  lad,  he  saw 
two  personages,  in  the  form  of  men,  glorious  above  descrip- 
tion, standing  above  him  in  the  air.  One  of  them  calling  him 
by  name  spoke,  saying: 

"This  is  my  Beloved  Son,  hear  him." 

Gaining  control  of  his  thoughts,  he  remembered  the  object 
of  his  search,  and  inquired  which  of  all  the  sects  was  right.  In 
answer  he  was  told  that  none  of  them  was  right,  and  that  he 
must  join  none  of  them.  Said  the  glorious  Being:  "They  draw 
near  to  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  hearts  are  far  from  me; 
they  teach  for  doctrine  the  commandments  of  men,  having 
a  form  of  Godliness,  but  they  deny  the  power  thereof."  Joseph 
was  amazed  at  the  instruction,  for  up  to  this  time  it  seems  not 
to  have  entered  his  mind  that  the  true  Church  was  not  to  be 
found  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  Repeating  their  command 
that  he  should  not  ally  himself  with  any  of  the  existing  sects, 
the  Personages  withdrew,  the  light  vanished,  and  the  youth, 
recovering,  found  himself  lying  on  his  back  gazing  up  into 
heaven. 

Repeating  the  wonderful  vision  of  what  he  had  seen  and 
heard,  it  created  wide-spread  surprise,  not  to  say  consterna- 
tion and  amazement.  He  was  accounted  a  blasphemer  for 
announcing  that  the  Father  was  a  personage,  and  still  worse, 


12  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

that  he,  an  obscure  boy,  had  seen  Him  and  the  Son,  and  had 
heard  their  eternal  voice.  His  parents  and  his  brethren  believed, 
but  not  so  with  the  professors  of  religion.  One  of  the  ministers 
to  whom  he  confided  his  vision  told  him  flatly  that  it  was  of 
the  devil.  There  was  no  such  things  as  visions  and  revelations 
in  these  days.  Such  manifestations  had  ceased  with  the  apos- 
tles, and  there  would  never  be  any  more.  But  the  lad  remained 
true  to  his  trust  and,  as  a  result,  he  was  persecuted,  stigmatized 
as  a  dreamer,  a  knave  and  a  hypocrite.  His  life  was  sought,  he 
was  persecuted  and  slandered,  but  still  he  said:  "I  had  seen 
a  vision.  I  knew  it,  and  I  knew  that  God  knew  it,  and  I  could 
not  deny  it,  neither  dare  I  do  it;  at  least,  I  knew  that  by  so 
doing  I  would  offend  God  and  come  under  condemnation." 
Thus,  nothing  could  change  the  steadfastness  of  his  testimony 
which  he  maintained  through  the  toil,  poverty,  scorn  and 
tribulation  of  the  following  three  years,  during  which  time, 
forced  from  the  society  of  his  former  friends,  he  was  obliged  to 
seek  the  companionship  which  his  genial  and  social  nature 
craved  among  those  unnoted  for  their  goodness,  among  evil 
characters,  as  he  himself  confesses.  Thus  he  fell  frequently 
into  many  foolish  errors,  and  he  felt  greatly  condemned,  at 
times,  for  his  weaknesses  and  imperfections. 

At  length  he  again  sought  the  Lord  that  he  might  receive 
a  forgiveness  for  all  his  sins  and  foibles,  and  know  his  standing 
before  his  God.  On  the  night  of  September  21,  1823,  he  prayed 
earnestly  for  an  answer  to  his  petition;  and,  while  thus  engaged, 
the  darkness  began  to  fade  away,  and  a  glory  appeared,  until 
the  room  was  lighter  than  noonday.  In  the  midst  of  this 
light,  in  the  air,  by  his  bedside,  stood  a  radiant  personage, 
whose  countenance  was  lovely  and  more  bright  than  vivid 
lightning.  Calling  the  youth  by  name,  he  declared  himself 
a  messenger  from  God  whose  name  was  Moroni.  He  said  that 
the  Lord  had  a  work  for  Joseph  to  do — through  him  God's 
authority  and  kingdom  were  to  be  restored  to  men  on  earth, 
and  that  his  name  should  be  had  for  good  and  evil  among  all 
nations. 

He  was  shown  in  vision  the  hill  wherein  were  hidden  the 
golden  plates  containing  the  record  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  with  them  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  prepared  by  the 
Almighty  to  aid  in  the  translation  of  the  book.  The  angel 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  13 

then  quoted  from  the  scriptures  various  prophecies  relating 
to  the  restoration  of  the  gospel  and  the  Priesthood,  and  the 
setting  up  of  the  Savior's  Latter-day  kingdom,  and  the  ushering 
in  of  the  Millennium.  He  referred  to  the  prophecies  included 
in  the  fourth  and  part  of  the  third  chapter  of  Malachi,  the 
eleventh  chapter  of  Isaiah,  and  twenty-second  and  twenty- 
third  verses  of  the  third  chapter  of  Acts,  and  the  last  five 
verses  of  the  second  chapter  of  Joel,  saying  these  were  about  to 
be  fulfilled.  He  declared  that  the  "fulness  of  the  Gentiles" 
would  soon  come  in,  and  warned  the  youth  that  when  he  should 
obtain  possession  of  the  plates  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  he 
should  not  show  them  to  any  one  except  by  commandment  of 
God,  otherwise  he  would  be  destroyed.  The  angel  then  left, 
the  room  grew  dark,  save  just  around  the  ascending  messenger 
who  disappeared  by  way  of  what  seemed  a  conduit  right  up 
into  heaven. 

Powerful  emotions  crowded  upon  the  mind  of  Joseph  as 
he  lay  musing  on  the  scene,  marveling  upon  the  things  which 
had  been  revealed  to  him.  While  he  yet  pondered,  the  angel 
made  his  second  appearance,  standing  in  a  blazing  glory  to 
repeat  the  solemn  message  to  the  listening  youth.  He  related 
word  for  word  what  had  been  said  before,  adding  that  great 
judgments,  desolation,  famine,  sword  and  pestilence  were 
coming  upon  the  earth.  Again  Moroni  ascended,  shortly 
thereafter  returning  a  third  time,  repeating  all  that  had  been 
said  before,  and  adding  by  way  of  caution,  that  Joseph  must 
not  give  way  to  a  mercenary  spirit  which  would  tempt  him, 
owing  to  his  poverty,  to  secure  the  plates  for  purposes  of  gain. 
The  heavenly  ambassador  then  disappeared  as  the  twilight  in 
the  east  heralded  the  approach  of  day. 

Having  thus  spent  the  night  in  holy  communion  with  the 
angel,  Joseph  left  his  bed  at  his  usual  hour  of  arising,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  his  daily  toil  on  the  farm,  but  he  was  unable  to  work. 
His  father  bade  him  return  to  rest  in  their  home.  On  his  way, 
his  strength  failed  him  and  he  fell  helpless  to  the  ground  as  he 
was  crossing  a  fence.  A  voice  aroused  him  by  gently  speaking 
his  name.  He  looked  up  and  saw  once  more  beside  him  the 
angel  of  the  previous  night.  For  the  fourth  time  he  related  the 
heavenly  message  to  the  future  prophet,  closing  with  the 
command  that  Joseph  tell  his  father  of  the  visits,  the  command- 


14  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

ments  received,  and  of  what  he  had  learned  of  the  purposes 
of  God.  He  obeyed,  and,  standing  there  in  the  field,  he  re- 
lated to  his  father  all  that  had  passed.  "My  son,  these  things 
are  of  God;  take  heed  that  you  proceed  in  all  holiness  to  do 
his  will,"  said  the  elder  Joseph  when  his  son  had  finished  his 
narration. 

3.     The  Sacred  Hill  Cumorah,  and  its  Treasure. 

On  the  road  from  Palmyra  to  Manchester,  about  three  or 
four  miles  from  the  former  place  (twenty-five  miles  southwest 
of  Rochester,  New  York),  is  situated  the  hill  Cumorah.  Its 
north  end  rises  abruptly  from  a  plain  to  the  height  of  about 
150  feet.  It  is  the  highest  of  the  many  hills  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  is  locally  known  by  the  name  of  "Mormon  Hill." 

It  was  to  this  elevation,  named  Cumorah  by  the  ancient 
Nephites,  and  Ramah  by  the  Jaredites,*  that  Joseph,  the 
Prophet,  proceeded,  just  after  obtaining  his  father's  consent  and 
blessing,  on  the  eventful  morning  referred  to  in  the  previous 
chapter.  He  knew  the  place  immediately  from  the  vision  he 
had  seen  of  it.  He  relates  that  "on  the  west  side  of  the  hill, 
not  far  from  the  top,  under  a  stone  of  considerable  size,  lay  the 
plates  deposited  in  a  stone  box;  this  stone  was  thick  and  round- 
ing in  the  middle  on  the  upper  side,  and  thinner  towards  the 
edges,  so  that  the  middle  part  of  it  was  visible  above  the  ground, 
but  the  edges  all  around  were  covered  with  earth."  Obtaining  a 
lever,  he  raised  the  stone,  looked  in,  and  there  indeed  beheld 
the  plates,  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  and  the  breast-plate,  as 
stated  by  the  messenger.  "The  box  in  which  they  lay,"  he 
continues,  "was  formed  by  laying  stones  together  in  some  kind 
of  cement.  In  the  bottom  of  the  box  were  laid  two  stones 
cross-ways  of  the  box,  and  on  these  stones  lay  the  plates  and 
the  other  things  with  them." 

Stretching  forth  his  hands  to  remove  the  contents,  Joseph 
was  immediately  restrained  by  the  messenger,  Moroni,  who 
told  him  that  the  time  had  not  yet  arrived,  but  that  four  years 
must  elapse  before  the  record  should  be  delivered  into  his  hands. 
He  was  instructed  to  repair  to  the  sacred  spot  each  succeeding 


^Moroni  6:2,  4,  5,  6.  11;  8:2;  Ether,  Book  of  Mormon  15:11. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  15 

year  on  that  day,  where  the  angel  would  meet  and  instruct  him 
respecting  what  the  Lord  was  going  to  do  and  in  what  manner 
the  Kingdom  of  God  was  to  be  conducted  in  the  latter  days. 
The  messenger  cautioned  him  to  prove  faithful  in  the  meantime, 
and  likewise  imparted  many  precious  truths  to  the  youth; 
telling  him,  among  other  things,  that  he,  Moroni,  while  living 
on  the  earth  four  centuries  after  Christ,  had  hidden  the  plates 
in  the  hill;  that  he  was  the  last  of  a  line  of  prophets  who  min- 
istered to  an  ancient  people,  called  Nephites,  who  inhabited 
this  land;  that  he  was  the  son  of  Mormon,  a  Nephite  prophet, 
general,  and  historian,  whose  record  the  plates  contained. 

Having  finished  his  instructions,  and  ended  his  counsel, 
the  angel  disappeared,  and  Joseph,  carefully  covering  the  box 
and  replacing  the  soil,  returned  to  his  home,  where  he  related 
his  experience,  confiding  to  the  members  of  the  household  all 
that  he  had  been  empowered  to  reveal.  They  believed  in  his 
wondrous  story,  and  rejoiced  in  the  knowledge  that  God  had 
spoken  from  the  heavens. 

Each  succeeding  22nd  day  of  September,  for  four  years, 
the  hill  Cumorah  was  visited  by  Joseph ;  each  time  he  met  and 
communed  with  the  heavenly  messenger,  each  time  gazed  upon 
the  precious  records,  each  time  received  instructions  that  ex- 
panded his  intellect  and  gave  him  a  more  perfect  conception 
of  the  marvelous  work  which  God  was  about  to  found. 

The  period  which  now  followed,  when  he  was  between  the 
ages  of  eighteen  and  twenty-two  years,  was  to  be  the  most 
important  in  his  life  for  the  shaping  of  his  character.  It  was  a 
probation.  In  it  he  passed  through  the  preparatory  course  in 
which  the  Lord  fitted  the  future  prophet  for  the  responsibilities 
incident  to  the  establishment  of  his  Church  upon  the  earth 
which  should  endure  forever  more. 

Joseph  toiled  diligently  upon  his  father's  farm  until  his 
younger  brothers  were  able  to  attend  to  the  duties  there  and  at 
home.  Then,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  sought  employment  at 
a  distance.  His  engagement  carried  him  to  Harmony,  Sus- 
quehanna  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  employed  by 
a  Mr.  Josiah  Stoal,  of  New  York,  in  digging  for  a  silver  mine 
which  his  employer  imagined  existed  in  that  region.  The  mine 
was  a  failure,  and  Joseph,  who  was  greatly  respected  by  his 
employer,  prevailed  upon  the  latter  to  abandon  the  undertaking, 


16  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

which  was  accordingly  done.  While  thus  employed,  Joseph 
boarded  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Isaac  Hale  with  whose  daughter 
Emma  he  became  enamored.  His  love  was  reciprocated,  but 
the  parents,  being  prejudiced  against  the  youth  by  the  stories 
of  his  enemies  circulated  to  injure  him  because  he  still  continued 
to  assert  that  he  had  seen  a  vision,  would  not  for  a  time  consent 
to  their  union.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  girl  being  of 
age,  high-minded  and  devout,  they  acted  without  consent,  and 
were  married  in  South  Bainbridge,  Chenango  county,  New 
York,  by  Squire  Tarbill,  on  the  18th  day  of  January,  1827. 
Returning  with  his  wife  to  his  father's  home  in  Manchester, 
he  assisted  in  the  labor  on  the  farm  to  obtain  means  for  his 
family  and  his  mission. 

Upon  these  two  incidents — his  being  employed  to  dig  for 
silver,  and  his  marriage  away  from  his  wife's  father's  home — 
were  based  the  accusations  of  his  enemies  that  he  was  a 
"money-digger"  and  "wife-stealer." 

The  end  of  his  four  years'  probation  was  rapidly  approach- 
ing. Joseph  had  been  faithful  to  his  trust.  Not  once  had  he 
failed  in  his  prescribed  visits  to  the  sacred  hill.  Faithfully 
had  he  kept  the  counsels  of  his  heavenly  teacher.  In  his  pre- 
paratory work,  he  had  been  sincerely  supported  by  his  wife  and 
his  brethren,  who  participated  in  his  hopes,  and  did  much  to 
comfort  his  heart,  in  the  midst  of  the  assaults  and  ridicule 
that  were  heaped  upon  him. 

At  length  the  promised  day  arrived;  for  the  fifth  time 
the  youth  stood  upon  the  spot  where  the  sacred  records  were 
concealed.  It  was  the  morning  of  the  22nd  day  of  September, 
1827.  With  a  prayer  that  he  might  prove  faithful  to  his  trust, 
he  removed  the  cover  of  the  box,  and  stretching  forth  his 
hands  at  the  angel's  command,  took  from  their  hiding  place 
the  treasures  there  safely  hidden  for  fourteen  centuries.  Lifting 
them  to  the  surface,  he  examined  their  beauty.*  Then  it 

*"The  Urim  and  Thummim  was  two  precious  stones  set  in  an  arch  of  silver  which  was 
fastened  to  an  ancient  breast-plate  of  pure  gold,  curiously  wrought.  The  breast-plate  was 
concave  on  one  side  and  convex  on  the  other,  and  seemed  to  have  been  made  for  a  man  of 
greater  stature  than  is  ordinary  in  modern  days.  Four  golden  bands  were  fastened  to  it, 
for  the  purpose  of  attaahing  it  to  the  person  of  its  wearer — two  of  the  bands  being  for  the 
shoulders,  the  other  two  for  the  waist  or  hips. 

"The  plates,  also  of  gold,  were  of  uniform  size;  each  was  slightly  less  in  thickness  than 
a  common  sheet  of  tin  and  was  about  eight  inches  in  width;  and  all  were  bound  together 
by  three  rings  running  through  one  edge  of  the  plates.  Thus  secured,  they  formed  a  book 
aboxit  six  inches  in  thickness.  A  part  of  the  volume,  about  one-third,  was  sealed;  the  other 
leaves  Joseph  turned  with  his  hand.  They  were  covered  on  both  sides  with  strange  charac- 
ters, small  and  beautifully  engraved." — Cannon's  "Life  of  Joseph  Smith,"  pp.  22-23. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  17 

was  that  the  angel  charged  him  to  shield  the  records  from  pro- 
fane sight  and  touch,  to  guard  them  as  sacredly  as  he  would 
his  life.  He  was  now  alone  responsible.  If,  through  any  neglect, 
he  should  suffer  them  carelessly  to  be  destroyed  or  lost,  great 
should  be  his  chastisement,  and  he  should  finally  be  cut  off; 
but,  if  he  should  use  all  care  to  preserve  them  until  they  should 
be  called  for  again  by  the  messenger,  they  should  be  protected 
from  the  efforts  that  would  be  made  to  rob  him  of  them,  and 
he  should  have  the  support  of  heaven  and  come  off  triumphant. 
"Moroni  disappeared,  and  the  Prophet  of  the  Last  Dis- 
pensation stood  alone  upon  Cumorah,  clasping  to  his  bosom  the 
priceless  trust." 

4.     Translating  the  Record. 

Soon  it  became  apparent  why  Joseph  had  been  cautioned 
by  the  angel  to  guard  the  plates  so  carefully.  No  sooner  had 
he  begun  his  homeward  journey  than  he  was  assaulted  by  evil 
persons  who  sought  his  destruction.  Three  times,  on  the  short 
journey  to  his  home,  he  was  attacked  by  unknown  men  who 
endeavored  to  strike  him  and  rob  him  of  his  charge.  Once  he 
was  hit  with  a  bludgeon.  However,  he  reached  home  with  the 
plates  unharmed,  though  himself  bruised  and  weakened  from 
the  contest.  But  the  persecution  was  continued,  falsehoods 
were  cunningly  set  afloat  concerning  him,  prejudice  walled 
him  in,  assassins  lurked  by  his  pathway,  seeking  his  life,  mobs 
surrounded  his  home,  every  means  was  adopted  .by  his  enemies 
for  his  destruction  and  to  gain  possession  of  the  plates.  But 
while  their  efforts  in  these  directions  failed,  his  enemies  suc- 
ceeded by  these  means  in  preventing  Joseph  from  proceeding 
with  his  work  of  translation,  and  the  persecution  at  length 
became  so  unbearable  that  he  was  forced  to  flee  from  Man- 
chester. He  then  determined  to  go  to  the  residence  of  his 
wife's  father  in  Pennsylvania. 

No  sooner  had  he  decided  upon  this  course  than  poverty, 
another  seemingly  insurmountable  barrier,  presented  itself; 
but  this  was  relieved  by  the  timely  aid  rendered  by  a  Mr. 
Martin  Harris,*  a  respectable  and  well-to-do  farmer  of  Pal- 

*One  of  the  three  witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  born  Easttown,  Saratoga  county, 
N.  Y.,  May  18,  1783;  died  Clarkston,  Cache  county,  Utah,  July  10,  1875. 


18  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OP  THE  CHURCH. 

myra  Township,  New  York,  a  friend  who  was  inspired  to  assist 
the  Prophet  in  the  midst  of  his  afflictions  with  a  gift  of  fifty 
dollars.  By  this  means  he  was  enabled  to  reach  his  destination 
in  Pennyslvania.  Twice  on  this  journey,  Joseph  was  stopped 
by  officers,  armed  with  pretended  law  warrants,  who  searched 
the  wagon  in  quest  of  the  golden  plates,  but  again  they  were 
unsuccessful. 

Early  in  December,  1827,  he  reached  the  residence  of 
Mr.  Isaac  Hale,  his  father-in-law,  where  he  was  kindly  received, 
the  anger  of  his  wife's  parents  over  the  young  people's  inde- 
pendent action  in  getting  married  having  evidently  abated. 

Immediately  after  his  arrival,  he  began  copying  the 
characters  of  the  plates,  and  by  means  of  the  Urim  and  Thum- 
mim  translated  some  of  them,  in  which  labor  he  was  engaged 
from  the  time  of  his  arrival  to  the  following  February.  It  was 
some  time  during  this  month  that  his  friend  Martin  Harris 
visited  him  to  learn  more  of  his  wondrous  mission.  Soon 
after,  Mr.  Harris  carried  away  to  New  York  some  of  the  copies 
and  translations  made  from  the  plates,  the  object  being  to 
show  them  to  some  scientist  or  linguist  who  should  determine 
on  their  genuineness;  for  while  Mr.  Harris  believed,  he  was 
evidently  not  without  his  doubts. 

Being  shown  the  characters,  Professor  Charles  Anthon,  of 
Columbia  College,  stated,  according  to  the  account  of  Mr. 
Harris,  that  the  translation  was  correct,  more  so  than  any  he 
had  before  seen  translated  from  the  Egyptian.  The  Professor 
was  then  shown'  the  untranslated  characters,  which  he  said  were 
true  Egyptian,  Chaldaic,  Assyriac,  and  Arabic  characters. 
He  prepared  a  certificate,  certifying  to  the  people  of  Palmyra, 
embodying  the  expressed  assertions,  and  gave  it  to  Mr.  Harris, 
who  folded  it,  placed  it  in  his  pocket,  and  was  about  to  leave 
when  the  Professor  inquired  how  the  young  man  learned  that 
there  were  gold  plates  in  the  place  where  he  found  them. 

"An  angel  of  God  revealed  it  to  him,"  was  the  farmer's 
reply. 

"Let  me  see  that  certificate,"  said  the  astonished  Profes- 
sor. Mr.  Harris  complied,  doubtless  thinking  the  learned  man 
desired  to  add  something  to  it,  but  no  sooner  was  the  paper  in 
the  Professor's  hands  than  he  tore  it  in  pieces,  saying: 

"There  is  no  such  thing  now  as  ministering  of  angels;" 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  19 

adding  that  if  he  would  bring  the  plates  to  him  he  would  trans- 
late them. 

"A  part  of  the  plates  is  sealed,  and  I  am  forbidden  to  bring 
them,"  said  Mr.  Harris,  whereupon  the  Professor  contemp- 
tuously replied : 

"I  cannot  read  a  sealed  book." 

And  thus  were  fulfilled  literally  the  words  of  Isaiah,  the 
ancient  prophet  of  God.* 

The  related  incident  converted  Mr.  Harris  to  the  testi- 
mony of  Joseph  and,  returning,  he  offered  to  become  the  scribe 
of  the  Prophet  in  the  work  of  translation,  which  proffer  was 
gladly  accepted.  Their  joint  labors  in  this  work  continued 
from  April  12  to  June  15,  1828,  by  which  time  116  pages  of 
manuscript  had  been  translated,  and  was  copied  by  Mr.  Harris. 
At  this  time  the  latter  much  desired  to  show  his  wife  and  other 
skeptics  these  pages,  and  at  length,  much  against  the  will  of 
Joseph,  received  permission  to  do  so,  on  condition  that  only 
certain  persons  named  should  be  allowed  to  see  the  writings. 
This  pledge  was  broken,  and  the  manuscript  was  stolen,  being 
never  again  seen  by  Joseph  who  thus  angered  the  Almighty, 
and,  besides,  lost  his  gift  of  translation  for  a  time.  Mr.  Harris, 
though  he  was  forgiven,  and  afterward  became  one  of  the  Three 
Witnesses  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  never  again  acted  as  Joseph's 
scribe.  Joseph's  wife  now  assisted  him  for  a  short  period  in  the 
work  of  translation,  but  owing  to  her  household  duties  and  the 
loss  of  their  first  born,  in  the  summer  of  1828,  slow  and  tedious 
progress  was  made. 

Joseph  prayed  earnestly  to  the  Lord  that  he  might  receive 
assistance  in  the  task  before  him;  and,  in  answer  to  his  petitions 
there  came  to  his  door,  in  Harmony,  a  young  school  teacher, 
named  Oliver  Cowdery,  who  had  heard  of  and  believed  in  the 
angelic  vision  of  the  Prophet.  He  offered  his  services  as  scribe 
and  secretary,  which  were  eagerly  accepted,  and  the  hindered 
work  again  proceeded  on  the  7th  day  of  April,  1829,  advancing 
so  rapidly  that  by  the  middle  of  the  following  May  its  greater 
part  was  completed. 


*Isaiah  29:11, 12:  "And  the  vision  of  all  is  become  unto  you  as  the  words  of  a  book  that 
is  sealed,  which  men  deliver  to  one  that  is  learned,  saying,  Read  this,  I  pray  thee:  and  he 
saith,  I  cannot;  for  it  is  sealed:  And  the  book  is  delivered  to  him  that  is  not  learned,  say- 
ing, Read  this,  I  pray  thee;  and  he  saith,  I  am  not  learned." 


20  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

While  the  work  progressed,  not  only  were  many  precious 
truths  revealed  from  heaven  to  the  young  men,  but 
from  the  records  themselves,  they  gleaned  many  glorious  prin- 
ciples that  gave  them  great  joy.  But  persecution  continued 
unabated,  so  much  so  that  if  Joseph's  father-in-law  had  not 
given  them  protection,  it  is  doubtful  that  they  could  have  pro- 
ceeded. Timely  financial  aid  was  rendered  them  by  Joseph 
Knight  of  Colesville,  Broome  county,  and,  at  the  residence  of 
the  Whitmer  family,  friends  of  Oliver  Cowdery,  at  Fayette, 
Seneca  county,  they  found  a  home  in  which  the  latter  portion 
of  the  records  was  translated,  they  having  been  invited  to 
come  there  by  David  Whitmer. 

At  length  the  translation  was  completed,  the  plates  were 
recommitted  into  the  charge  of  the  angel  Moroni,  who  received 
them  back  into  his  keeping  until  the  time  shall  come  when  the 
sealed  portions  are  to  be  brought  forth.* 

The  Prophet  and  his  friends  visited  at  Palmyra  Mr.  Martin 
Harris,  to  arrange  for  the  publication  of  the  work  for  which  that 
gentleman  was  to  furnish  the  money.  Arrangements  were 
made  with  Mr.  Egbert  B.  Grandin  to  print  five  thousand  copies 
for  three  thousand  dollars,  and  the  copyright  was  secured  on 
the  llth  day  of  June,  1829.  While  Joseph  visited  his  home 
in  Pennsylvania,  during  the  autumn  of  1829,  and  the  succeed- 
ing winter,  Oliver  Cowdery  remained  to  give  his  attention  to 
the  printing  and  publication  of  the  book;  and,  in  the  spring  of 
1830,  the  first  edition  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  given  to  the 
world. 

5.     Important  Revelations. 

To  the  Prophet  Joseph,  intelligence  concerning  the  new 
Church  which  God  was  about  to  establish,  was  made  known  as 
it  was  needed,  as  the  work  progressed.  The  whole  plan  was 
neither  revealed  at  once  nor  understood  by  the  Prophet  from 
the  beginning.  During  his  whole  life  he  received  numerous 
revelations  through  which  he  was  taught  and  by  which  fee  was 
prepared  for  his  labors  as  they  appeared.  These  counsels  and 
teachings  are  found  in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  a  book 

Nephi  27;6-30, 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  21 

of  revelations  given,  as  necessity  demanded,  for  the  comfort 
and  guidance  of  the  servants  of  God  and  the  Church. 

On  one  occasion,  while  engaged  in  the  translation  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  Joseph  and  Oliver  encountered  a  passage 
which  spoke  of  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins.  This  being 
new  to  them,  as  it  is  to  many  to  this  day,  they  felt  a  desire,  a 
necessity  to  comply  with  this  doctrine.  After  consulting  on 
the  matter,  they  went  to  the  woods  and  there  united  in  prayer 
for  light  on  the  subject.  While  thus  engaged  a  heavenly  mes- 
senger descended  before  them.  He  told  them  that  he  was  John 
the  Baptist,  and  that  he  had  come  to  minister  to  them  under 
the  direction  of  the  Apostles  Peter,  James  and  John,  who  still 
held  the  keys  of  the  Priesthood  after  the  order  of  Melchizedek. 
Laying  his  hands  upon  their  heads,  he  conferred  upon  them  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood,  which  holds  the  keys  of  the  ministering  of 
angels,  and  of  baptism  by  immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins.  * 
The  angel  also  instructed  them  in  the  duties  of  this  Priesthood, 
saying  that  in  due  time  the  Higher,  or  Melchizedek  Priesthood, 
without  which  there  can  be  no  true  Church  of  Christ,  would  be 
conferred  upon  them  by  proper  authority.  John  then  command- 
ed them  to  go  forth  and  baptize  each  the  other  by  virtue  of 
the  authority  transmitted  to  them;  this  was  accordingly  done 
on  the  15th  day  of  May,  1829,  when  Joseph  baptized  Oliver 
and  afterward  Oliver  immersed  Joseph  for  the  remission 
of  sins.  Coming  out  of  the  water,  they  ordained  each  other  to 
the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  following  which  the  Holy  Ghost  fell 
upon  them,  causing  them  to  rejoice  and  prophesy.  The  Holy 
Ghost  was  later  conferred  upon  them  by  Peter,  James  and 
John.  Thus  was  the  beginning  made  to  the  membership 
of  the  Church  of  Christ,  the  initiatory  ordinance  being  perform- 
ed by  direct  authority  from  heaven. 

Time  after  time,  Joseph  proclaimed  to  anxious  inquirers 
the  tidings  that  an  angel  from  heaven  had  restored  to  earth 
the  power  to  baptize  men  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  that 
himself  and  Oliver  had  been  recipients  thereof.  Out  of  the 
scriptures,  he  reasoned  with  his  friends,  as  he  met  them.  People 
soon  began  to  receive  the  testimony,  among  the  first  being 
Samuel  H.  and  Hyrum  Smith,  brothers  of  the  Prophet. 

*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  13. 


22  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

After  the  removal  to  Fayette,  several  members  of  the 
Whitmer  family  became  convinced  of  the  divine  mission  of  the- 
Prophet,  and  were  baptized;  while  many  others  thereabout 
were  soon  made  believers  through  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit, 
and  by  means  of  the  instructions  and  persuasions  of  Joseph 
and  Oliver,  who  were  privileged  to  meet  the  people  and  speak 
to  them  on  many  occasions. 

In  the  course  of  the  work  of  translating  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, the  Prophet  and  his  scribe  learned  that  the  Lord  would 
provide  three  special  witnesses,  who  should  be  granted  per- 
mission to  see  the  plates,  etc.,  and  who  should  bear  record  of 
the  same.*  By  revelation,  Oliver  Cowdery,  David  Whitmer 
and  Martin  Harris  were  chosen  such  witnesses.**  Some  days 
after  their  selection,  these  men  with  the  Prophet  retired  into 
the  woods  to  obtain  a  fulfilment  of  the  promised  privilege.*** 
In  answer  to  their  prayers,  an  angel  appeared  showing  them  the 
plates,  turning  over  the  leaves,  one  by  one,  so  that  they  could 
see  them  and  discover  upon  them  the  engravings.  A  voice 
said  unto  them  that  the  plates  had  been  revealed  and  correctly 
translated  by  the  power  of  God.  They  were  then  commanded 
to  bear  record  of  what  they  saw  and  heard,  which  they  after- 
ward did,  their  testimony  being  found  in  every  edition  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  It  remains  unimpeached  to  this  day;  not- 
withstanding all  of  them  subsequently  apostatized,  not  one 
of  them  ever  denied  that  he  had  seen  the  plates  and  the  heaven- 
ly messenger,  as  he  had  at  first  solemnly  testified.  Eight  other 
witnesses,  whose  testimony  is  also  found  in  all  editions  of  the 
book,  testify  that  Joseph  showed  them  the  plates  which  they 
handled. 

At  a  day  not  definitely  known,  but  between  the  15th  of 
May  and  the  end  of  June,  1829,  Peter,  James  and  John  ap- 
peared in  glory  to  Joseph,  conferring  upon  him  and  Oliver 
Cowdery  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  which  these  ancient  dis- 
ciples of  the  Lord  and  Savior  held  while  in  mortality.****  These 
two  modern  servants  of  God,  the  first  elder  and  the  second  in 
the  Church  later  ordained  each  other  to  the  same  Priesthood. 


*See  Book  of  Mormon,  Ether  5:2-4. 
**See  Section  17,  Doctrine  and  Covenants. 
***"History  of  the  Church,"  Vol.  1,  pp.  52-5. 
****Doctrine  and  Covenants,  20:2,  3. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  23 

The  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  now  sealed  upon  their  heads, 
and  they  rejoiced  exceedingly,  being  now  in  position  to  confer 
this  gift  upon  others.  They  were  also  thus  made  possessors 
of  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood,  which  is  the  "moving,  directing, 
controlling,  governing  or  presiding  agency,  right  and  authority 
which  is  vested  in  the  Godhead  and  delegated  unto  man  for 
the  purposes  of  his  instruction,  initiation  into  the  Church, 
spiritual  and  temporal  guidance,  government  and  exaltation. . . . 
Which  is  without  father,  without  mother  or  descent,  or  begin- 
ning of  days,  or  end  of  life,  which  the  Great  High  Priest,  Mel- 
chizedek, so  honored  and  magnified  in  his  time  that  it  was 
called  after  his  name,  in  honor  to  him  and  to  avoid  the  too 
frequent  repetition  of  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God."* 

Following  their  ordination  to  the  High  Priesthood,  came 
a  momentous  revelation  from  the  Lord  making  known  to  them 
the  calling  of  Twelve  Apostles  in  the  last  days,  giving  also 
many  instructions  concerning  the  building  up  of  the  Church 
of  Christ  according  to  the  fulness  of  the  gospel.** 

Thus,  during  the  eventful  months  of  May  and  June,  1829, 
were  revealed  many  important  truths  and  principles,  fraught 
with  world-wide  benefits,  with  great  consequences  to  the  re- 
ligious world.  The  Priesthood  was  restored  and  conferred, 
giving  men  authority  to  act  in  the  name  of  God. 

It  was  learned  that  baptism  is  essential,  and  is  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins;  and  men  were  authorized  to  perform  this  or- 
dinance. 

Witnesses  were  chosen  to  testify  to  the  divinity  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  now  almost  ready  to  be  distributed  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  world,  who  would  through  it  receive  a  ful- 
ness and  undefiled  explanation  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as 
taught  anciently. 

The  beginning  was  successfully  made  in  proclaiming  these 
tidings  to  mankind. 

As  a  result  of  the  whole,  the  hour  was  rapidly  approaching 
when  the  true  Church  could  be  organized,  when  the  "marvelous 
work  and  a  wonder"  which  the  Lord  was  in  the  act  of  bringing 
forth  could  be  thoroughly  founded  in  the  earth. 


*Joseph  F.  Smith,  in  "The  Contributor,"  Vol.  X,  page  307.     "Gospel  Doctrine," 
pages    236-246. 

**See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  18. 


24  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


II. 

FROM  THE  ORGANIZATION  TO  THE  FLIGHT 
FROM  KIRTLAND. 

1830-1838. 

1.     Organization  of  the  Church. 

By  the  will  and  commandments  of  God,*  the  6th  day 
of  April,  1830,  was  the  date  fixed  for  the  organization  of  the 
Church,  for  which  everything  was  now  in  readiness.  On  that 
day,  a  meeting  of  the  baptized  members,  about  forty  in  number, 
was  called,  and  assembled  in  the  house  of  Peter  Whitmer,  Sen., 
in  Fayette,  Seneca  county,  New  York.  The  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was  organized,  on  the  date  named, 
with  six  members,  which  number  was  required  by  law.** 
The  original  members  were:  Joseph  Smith,  Jun.,  Oliver  Cow- 
dery,  Hyrum  Smith,  Peter  Whitmer,  Jun.,  Samuel  H.  Smith 
and  David  Whitmer. 

In  conformity  with  previously  revealed  commandments, 
the  Prophet  Joseph,  having  first  opened  the  meeting  by  prayer, 
called  upon  the  members  present  to  know  whether  they  were 
willing  to  accept  him  and  Oliver  Cowdery  as  their  teachers  in 
the  Kingdom  of  God,  and  whether  they  were  willing  to  be 
organized  as  a  Church.  By  unanimous  vote,  they  consented, 
whereupon  Joseph  laid  his  hands  upon  Oliver  ordaining  him 
an  Elder  in  the  Church  of  Christ,  after  which  Joseph  was  or- 
dained by  Oliver  to  the  same  office.  The  Sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  was  partaken  of  by  those  who  had  been  bap- 
tized, following  which  they  were  confirmed  members  of  the 
Church,  and  made  the  recipients  of  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  lay- 
ing on  of  the  elders'  hands.  The  Spirit  was  richly  manifest, 
so  that  all  rejoiced  and  praised  God,  while  a  number  prophesied. 
Some  of  the  brethren,  for  the  members  were  now  "brethren 
and  sisters,"  were  likewise,  at  this  time,  ordained  to  the  various 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  20:1-4. 
**"History  of  the  Church,"  Vol.  1,  pages  74-77. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  25 

offices  in  the  Priesthood,  the  duties  of  which  were  made  known 
by  revelation  about  this  time.  * 

While  the  Saints  were  yet  together,  on  this  occasion,  the 
Prophet  Joseph  voiced  to  his  followers  the  revelation  found  in 
the  twenty-first  section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  in 
which  his  divine  calling  is  declared,  the  forgiveness  of  his  sins  pro- 
claimed, and  the  Church  commanded  to  give  heed,  in  all  patience 
and  faith,  to  his  words  as  he  shall  receive  them,  as  if  they  came 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  himself;  being  promised,  in  so 
doing  that,  the  Lord  would  disperse  darkness  from  before  them, 
cause  the  heavens  to  shake  for  their  good,  and  that  the  gates 
of  hell  should  not  prevail  against  them.  Mighty  blessings  are 
promised  to  those  who  shall  labor  in  the  vineyard  to  declare  the 
way  open  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  Jesus  crucified  for  the 
sins  of  the  world. 

"Thus  was  founded,"  says  the  Historian  Whitney,  "the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Thus  arose,  as 
a  system,  what  the  world  terms  'Mormonism,'  universally 
regarded  as  the  most  remarkable  religious  movement  of  modern 
times;  detested  and  denounced  throughout  Christendom  as 
a  dangerous  and  soul-destroying  imposture,  but  revered  and 
defended  by  its  disciples  as  the  wonderful  work  of  the  Almighty, 
the  veritable  marvelous  work  and  wonder  foretold  by  Isaiah  and 
other  ancient  seers,  which  was  to  prepare  the  world,  by  the 
preaching  of  the  restored  gospel  and  the  founding  of  the  Latter- 
day  Zion,  for  Messiah's  second  coming  and  the  advent  of  the 
Millennium." 

2.     Manifestations  and  Persecutions. 

The  Church  was  organized  on  a  Tuesday,  and  the  first 
public  meeting  thereafter  was  held  at  the  house  of  Peter  Whit- 
mer,  in  Fayette,  on  the  following  Sunday,  April  11,  1830. 
Since  the  appointment  for  this  gathering  had  gone  forth  in  all 
the  surrounding  neighborhood,  it  was  attended  by  a  large 
number  of  people.  On  this  occasion  Oliver  Cowdery,  under 
Joseph's  direction,  preached  the  first  public  discourse  delivered 


*In  the  20th  Section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  are  found  instructions  concerning 
Church  organization,  government  and  discipline,  the  proper  mode  of  baptism,  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  Sacrament,  duties  of  officers  and  members,  etc. 


26  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

by  an  authorized  servant  of  God  in  the  latter-day  dispensation. 
Saints  and  strangers  were  greatly  comforted,  many  of  the  latter 
seeking  baptism  and  membership  among  the  people  of  God. 
Six  were  added  that  day,  followed  by  seven  others  on  Sunday, 
the  18th,  all  being  baptized  by  Oliver  Cowdery,  in  Seneca 
Lake. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  April,  Joseph  visited 
the  home  of  Mr.  Joseph  Knight,  at  Colesville,  Broome  county, 
New  York,  the  gentleman  who  had  so  kindly  aided  him  in  the 
hour  of  need,  while  engaged  in  translating  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
Mr.  Knight  and  family,  who  were  Universalists,  received  him 
kindly,  reasoning  calmly  with  him  upon  his  religious  views. 
The  Prophet  held  several  meetings  which  created  both  friends 
and  enemies,  and  elicited  numerous  inquiries  after  the  truth. 
Among  those  who  attended  regularly  was  Newel  Knight,  a 
son  of  Joseph  Knight,  who  became  so  interested  in  the  words  of 
the  Prophet  that  he  promised  to  pray  in  meeting  before  his 
friends.  When  the  time  came,  however,  he  could  not  be  pre- 
vailed upon  to  do  that,  but  instead  retired  into  the  woods, 
from  which  place  he  returned  in  an  alarming  condition  of  mind 
and  body.  Visiting  him,  Joseph  found  his  visage  and  limbs 
distorted  and  twisted;  and  while  the  Prophet  was  yet  there, 
his  friend  was  caught  up  from  the  floor  and  tossed  helplessly 
about  the  room.  Through  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  Joseph  saw 
that  he  was  in  the  hands  of  the  evil  one,  and  that  the  power 
of  God  alone  could  save  him  from  such  tortures.  Joseph 
succeeded  in  getting  hold  of  his  hand,  when  Newel  requested 
that  the  devil  which  possessed  him  be  cast  out.  Joseph  replied: 
"If  you  know  that  I  can,  it  shall  be  done,"  and  then,  almost 
unconsciously,  the  servant  of  God  rebuked  the  destroyer,  com- 
manding him  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  to  depart.  Instantly, 
Newel  cried  out  with  joy,  saying  that  he  could  see  the  devil 
leave  the  room  and  vanish  from  sight.  His  countenance  became 
natural,  his  distortions  ceased,  he  was  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  he  believed,  was  made  whole,  and  was  afterward  baptized 
by  David  Whitmer,  while  on  a  visit  to  Fayette  in  the  latter  part 
of  May.  Many  others  who  witnessed  this  strange  event  sub- 
sequently became  members  of  the  Church. 

Thus  was  the  first  miracle  performed  in  the  Church,  by 
the  power  of  God,  and  it  was  a  beginning  of  the  realization  of 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  27 

the  promises  made — for  it  was  the  gospel  of  "signs"  following 
the  believer,  as  in  days  of  old.  Since  then,  thousands  of 
miraculous  healings  have  been,  and  are  being,  performed  by 
the  elders  who  ever  give  to  the  Father  the  praise,  honor  and 
glory. 

Having  completed  his  labors  in  Colesville,  Joseph  returned 
to  Fayette  where  he  found  much  excitement  over  the  coming 
forth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which,  though  having  been  in 
print  for  some  time,^"was  accounted  a  strange  thing."  The 
Saints,  their  friends,  and  believers  in  the  book,  were  being  sub- 
jected to  much  petty  persecution. 

In  Fayette,  on  the  first  day  of  June,  1830,  the  first  confer- 
ence of  the  Church  was  held.  Thirty  members  were  present 
on  the  opening  day,  there  being  also  many  strangers,  and  be- 
lievers in  the  new  faith.  The  Sacrament  was  administered; 
the  faith  of  the  congregation  was  so  great  that  many  saw 
heavenly  visions,  and  felt  the  manifestations  of  the  Spirit  in 
such  a  miraculous  manner  that  they  were  deprived  of  their 
natural  strength  for  a  time.  Restored  to  their  bodily  powers, 
they  shouted  "Hosannas  to  God  and  the  Lamb,"  and  rehearsed 
the  glories  which  they  beheld  while  yet  in  the  Spirit.  Many 
baptisms  followed,  more  were  ordained  to  the  offices  of  the 
Priesthood,  the  brethren  were  inspired  with  fresh  zeal  in  the 
cause,  and  "Mormonism"  began  spreading  with  unprecedented 
rapidity. 

Returning  immediately  after  this  conference  to  his  home  in 
Pennsylvania,  Joseph  soon  thereafter  departed  thence,  with 
his  wife,  on  a  visit  to  the  home  of  Joseph  Knight,  at  Colesville, 
where  he  found  many  believers  anxious  for  baptism.  One 
Saturday  night,  the  elders  constructed  a  dam  over  a  stream, 
where  baptisms  were  to  be  performed  after  the  appointed  meet- 
ing on  the  following  Sabbath  day.  But  a  mob,  led  by  certain 
priests  in  the  neighborhood,  tore  away  the  dam,  necessitating 
the  postponement  of  the  ordinance  till  Monday,  when,  not- 
withstanding the  rage  of  their  enemies  (who  had  become  still 
more  embittered  at  hearing  the  testimonies  of  the  divinity  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  the  first  principles  of  the  gospel,  at 
the  Sunday  meeting),  thirteen  persons  were  baptized  under 
the  hands  of  Oliver  Cowdery.  Among  these  was  Emma,  the 


28  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

wife  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,  whose  joy  at  welcoming  her  into  the 
fold  was  unspeakable. 

Scarcely  was  the  ordinance  completed,  when  the  mob 
again  began  their  annoyances.  Fifty  men  surrounded  the  house 
of  Mr.  Knight,  and  it  was  only  by  exercising  great  care  that  the 
elders  were  saved  from  violence.  Joseph  confronted  the  mob, 
bravely  answering  their  insults  and  threatenings,  in  a  vain 
endeavor  to  pacify  them.  Finally  the  rabble  withdrew,  and 
the  elders  prudently  went  to  the  home  of  Newel  Whitney. 
Here,  as  they  were  about  to  confirm  the  gathered  converts,  a 
constable  appeared  with  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  Joseph,  the 
charge  being  preaching  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  setting  the 
country  in  an  uproar.  The  arrest  had  been  instigated  by  the 
mob  whose  plan  was  to  get  him  into  their  hands,  so  the  now 
friendly  constable  said.  This  proved  to  be  true,  and  but  for 
the  friendliness  of  the  officer,  who  found  Joseph  a  different 
personage  from  what  he  had  been  represented,  undoubtedly 
they  would  have  taken  him  into  custody.  When  the  mob  sur- 
rounded the  wagon,  the  constable  whipped  up  his  horse,  and 
thus  drove  the  Prophet  out  of  their  reach.  Taking  him  to 
South  Bainbridge,  Chenango  county,  he  was  lodged  in  a  tavern 
where  the  constable  kept  watch  over  him  for  the  night.  Next 
day,  amid  great  excitement,  he  was  called  for  trial,  the  charges, 
among  others,  being  that  he  had  obtained  from  Josiah  Stoal, 
his  former  employer,  a  horse,  and  from  Jonathan  Thompson, 
a  yoke  of  oxen,  by  telling  them  that  he  had  received  revelations 
that  he  was  to  have  the  property.  Taking  the  witness  stand, 
these  gentlemen  testified  in  the  prisoner's  favor,  and  he  was 
promptly  acquitted.  His  defenders  were  Messrs.  Joseph  David- 
son and  John  Reid,  who  had  been  secured  by  Mr.  Joseph 
Knight. 

No  sooner  was  Joseph  set  free  than  he  was  rearrested  on  a 
warrant  from  Broome  county,  and  taken  to  Colesville  for  trial. 
The  officer  into  whose  hands  he  now  fell  treated  him  harshly, 
allowing  him  neither  food  nor  water  for  many  hours.  At  the 
tavern,  the  rabble  abused,  ridiculed,  insulted,  spit  upon  and 
pointed  their  fingers  at  him.  Then,  at  length,  he  was  given  some 
crusts  of  bread  and  water,  and  permitted  to  retire  for  the  night. 

At  the  trial  on  the  following  day,  the  same  gentlemen  de- 
fended him  as  were  at  the  former  trial.  They  held  forth  in  its 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  29 

true  light  the  malicious  nature  of  the  prosecutors  of  the  case. 
Joseph  was  again  promptly  acquitted,  there  being  no  cause  for 
action.  This  greatly  angered  his  enemies  who  now  threatened 
him  with  violence. 

They  were  prevented  from  accomplishing  their  designs 
by  the  officer  who  had  before  treated  him  so  harshly,  but  who, 
like  many  others  who  had  witnessed  the  case,  was  now  disposed 
to  be  friendly.  With  this  help,  Joseph  and  his  wife  escaped 
unharmed  to  his  home  in  Pennsylvania. 

Not  many  days  after,  however,  he,  with  Oliver  Cowdery, 
revisited  Colesville  to  confirm  the  baptized  members,  but 
scarcely  had  they  arrived  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Knight  when 
the  mob  began  to  gather,  and  they  were  forced  to  flee  for  their 
lives,  without  accomplishing  their  purpose.  On  a  subsequent 
visit  they  were  more  successful. 

With  the  assistance  of  his  wife  and  John  Whitmer,  Joseph 
now  spent  some  time  in  arranging  and  copying  the  revelations 
received  up  to  this  date.  In  the  month  of  June,  what  is  known 
as  the  " Visions  of  Moses,"*  and  in  July  the  commandments 
found  in  the  24th,  25th  and  26th  sections  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  were  made  known. 

Oliver  Cowdery  had  returned  to  Mr.  Whitmer's  at  Fayette, 
and  while  Joseph  was  yet  in  Harmony,  he  received  a  letter 
from  him,  in  which  the  announcement  was  made  that  an  error 
had  been  discovered  in  one  of  the  commandments,  which 
Joseph  was  asked  to  correct,  to  which  the  Prophet  replied  that 
the  words  were  given  of  God,  and  must  stand  as  written  until 
God  should  change  them.** 

It  was  only  after  Joseph  had  made  a  personal  visit  to 
Fayette  that  Oliver,  and  some  of  the  Whitmer  family  who  had 
also  been  misled,  were  convinced  of  the  correctness  of  the 
Prophet's  position;  but  even  then,  the  incident  caused  a  breach 
between  the  First  Elder  and  the  Second,  whose  relations  up 
to  this  time  had  been  congenial  and  mutually  helpful,  which 
only  temporarily  closed,  soon  to  be  re-opened. 

In  the  early  part  of  August,  some  of  the  unconfirmed 
members,  baptized  in  Colesville,  came  to  Harmony,  whereupon 

*See  "Pearl  of  Great  Price,"  page  1. 

**See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  20,  verse  37,  the  words  enclosed  in    commas 
in  the  last  four  lines.    "History  of  the  Church,"  Vol.  1,  pages  104-105. 


30  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Joseph  prepared  to  hold  a  confirmation  meeting.  Wishing  to 
administer  the  Sacrament,  he  set  out  to  obtain  some  wine, 
when  he  was  met  by  a  heavenly  messenger,  and  received  a 
revelation  in  which  the  use  of  wine  in  the  Sacrament  is  for- 
bidden, unless  it  be  made  new  among  the  Saints  themselves.* 
Returning,  Joseph  complied  with  the  instructions,  the  meeting 
being  held  as  contemplated. 

Persecutions  now  revived  in  Harmony,  set  in  motion  by 
the  efforts  of  a  Methodist  minister.  Joseph's  father-in-law, 
Mr.  Isaac  Hale,  was  prevailed  upon  to  join  the  ranks  of  the 
opponents,  and  from  that  time  on  became  a  bitter  foe  to  Joseph 
and  the  Church.  It  became  impossible  for  Joseph  and  Emma 
to  remain  in  their  old  home  in  Harmony,  arid  so,  accepting 
a  second  invitation  from  the  Whitmers,  they  removed  to 
Fayette,  arriving  there  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  1830. 

3.     Mission  to  the  Lamanites. 

Fresh  trouble  now  confronted  the  cause.  Upon  arriving 
in  Fayette,  the  Prophet  found  serious  dissensions  among  his 
followers.  The  trouble  arose  over  a  stone  in  the  possession  of 
Hiram  Page,  through  which  he  had  obtained  a  number  of 
spurious  revelations,  the  teachings  of  which  were  contrary  to 
the  doctrines  of  the  New  Testament,  and  to  those  received  by 
the  head  of  the  Church.  A  number  of  the  Saints  had  been 
misled,  prominent  among  whom  were  Oliver  Cowdery  and 
some  of  the  Whitmer  family.  Speaking  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
the  Prophet  told  them  that  Satan  had  deceived  Hiram  Page, 
that  the  communications  received  through  the  stone  were  not 
of  God,  and  that  he  alone  was  to  receive  revelations  for  the 
Church,  until  another  should  be  appointed  in  his  stead.  All 
things  were  to  be  done  in  order,  and  by  common  consent 
by  the  prayer  of  faith.  Oliver  Cowdery  was  called  upon  to 
induce  Page  to  discard  the  stone,  and  he  was  likewise  called  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  Lamanites,  which  mission  he  was  to 
fill  as  soon  as  the  differences  then  existing  in  the  Church  were 
settled.**  In  this  same  revelation,  allusion  is  made  to  a  "city" 


*Section  27,  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  verses  1-4. 
**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  28:1-8. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  31 

which,  though  not  definitely  located,  was  to  be  founded  some- 
where in  the  West,  on  the  "borders  by  the  Lamanites."  It 
was  about  this  time  also  that  the  important  revelation  concern- 
ing the  eventual  gathering  of  the  Saints  was  given.  * 

At  a  three  days'  conference  in  Fayette,  the  second  held  in 
the  Church,  beginning  September  1,  1830,  Hiram  Page  and  his 
associates  renounced  the  stone  in  question,  and  all  things  con- 
nected therewith,  renewing  their  fealty  to  Joseph  as  their 
leader  and  prophet.  Thus  harmony  was  restored  once  more,  the 
threatened  schism  being  completely  blotted  out.  At  this  con- 
ference, two  revelations  were  given  (Doctrine  and  Covenants, 
Sections  30  and  31)  calling  a  number  of  the  brethren  on  mis- 
sions; and  soon  after  its  adjournment,  preparations  were  made 
for  introducing  the  gospel  to  the  Lamanites,  or  Indians,  in 
conformity  with  the  revealed  word.** 

The  Latter-day  Saints  believe  that  they  themselves  are 
of  Israel,  and  it  is  a  cardinal  doctrine  with  them  that  scattered 
Israel  shall  be  gathered  in  the  last  days,  which  in  a  measure 
accounts  for  the  startling  sacrifices  made  by  them  in  pro- 
claiming the  gospel  to  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  in  their 
calling  upon  the  honest  in  heart,  the  seed  of  Israel,  to  gather 
to  the  land  of  Zion,  or  America.  With  Jeremiah,  they  believe 
that,  "He  that  scattered  Israel  will  gather  him,  and  keep  him, 
as  a  shepherd  doth  his  flock."  Hence  their  eagerness  to  de- 
clare the  word  of  the  Lord  to  the  nations,  and  in  the  "isles 
afar  off."  The  gathering,  which  involves  not  only  the  scat- 
tered remnants  of  Israel,  but  also  the  return  of  the  Ten  Tribes 
from  the  "north  country,"  the  restoration  of  the  Jews,  and  the 
re-building  of  Jerusalem,  was  accounted  a  strange  doctrine 
when  first  announced  in  this  age;  so  was  the  calling  of  mis- 
sionaries to  go  forth  to  preach  without  purse  or  scrip.  Even  the 
inspired  mind  of  the  Prophet  scarcely  understood,  nay,  did 
not  understand,  the  full  import  of  these  and  other  doctrines 
revealed  through  his  instrumentality.  But  he  made  this  motto 
his  rule  of  life;  "When  the  Lord  commands,  do  it,"  at  the  same 
time  showing  his  followers  the  necessity  of  a  like  obedience. 

The  Indians,  according  to  the  belief  of  the  Saints,  which  is 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  29 : 1-1 1     See  also  Section  10 :59-66. 
**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  32. 


32  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

founded  upon  the  statements  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  are  a 
branch  of  the  House  of  Israel,  and  are  therefore  to  hear  the 
word  of  God  so  that  they  may  carry  out  their  portion  of  the 
great  gospel  program,  and  assist  in  building  up  the  city  of 
Zion,  the  New  Jerusalem  of  the  West.  Hence  the  calling  of 
missionaries,  at  this  early  day,  to  present  the  true  gospel  to 
them,  together  with  the  Book  of  Mormon,  a  record  of  the  hand- 
dealings  of  God  with  their  forefathers. 

The  men  selected  by  revelation*  to  perform  this  first  dis- 
tant mission,  "to  go  into  the  wilderness,  through  the  western 
states,  and  into  the  Indian  territory,"  were  Oliver  Cowdery, 
Peter  Whitmer,  Jr.,  Parley  P.  Pratt  and  Ziba  Peterson.  While 
they  were  specially  called  to  the  Indians,  they  were  neverthe- 
less to  preach  wherever  opportunity  offered. 

Parley  P.  Pratt,  whose  history  at  this  point  is  inseparably 
interwoven  with  that  of  the  Church,  was  born  April  12, 1807,  in 
Burlington,  Otsego  county,  New  York,  and  was  baptized  into 
the  Church  by  Oliver  Cowdery,  in  Seneca  Lake,  September  1, 
1830.  Previously  he  had  been  a  Campbellite  preacher.  The 
Campbellites  were  a  sect  of  reformed  Baptists,  whose  strong- 
hold was  in  and  about  Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  the  shores  of  Lake 
Erie.  Among  their  noted  men  were  Alexander  Campbell,  the 
founder  of  the  sect,  and  Sidney  Rigdon,  a  gifted  expounder  of 
the  Scriptures.  Soon  after  joining  this  sect,  in  August,  1830, 
Pratt  decided  to  devote  his  life  to  the  ministry,  for  which  rea- 
son he  sold  his  frontier  home  in  Ohio,  going  east  to  carry  out  his 
resolve.  While  on  this  journey,  he  first  saw  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, in  which  he  immediately  became  deeply  interested.  He 
started  to  seek  the  Prophet,  but  not  finding  him  at  home,  he 
visited  his  brother  Hyrum  Smith,  who  accompanied  him  to 
Fayette  where,  becoming  convinced  of  the  divinity  of  Joseph's 
mission,  he  was  baptized,  as  stated.  He  then  went  east  and 
there  converted  his  brother  Orson,  afterwards  a  famous  apostle 
and  one  of  the  pioneer  founders  of  Utah.  Returning  west, 
he  met  the  Prophet  Joseph  at  Manchester,  being  soon  there- 
after called  to  fill  the  before-mentioned  mission  to  the  Laman- 
ites  or  Indians. 

Late  in  October,  the  four  elders  began  their  westward 

*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  28,  30  and  32. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  33 

journey,  on  foot,  trusting  in  the  Lord  "to  open  up  the  way." 
Near  Buffalo,  they  presented  their  interesting  message  to  the 
Catteraugus  Indians,  giving  them  copies  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon. They  were  kindly  received  by  the  red  men.  Continuing 
their  journey,  their  next  stop  was  at  Kirtland,  then  a  prosper- 
ous frontier  town  of  about  two  thousand  inhabitants,  a  city 
where  "  'Mormonism,'  itself,  the  parent  Church,  was  destined 
soon  to  plant  its  pilgrim  feet."  Seeking  an  interview  with  his 
former  teacher,  Sidney  Rigdon,  Elder  Pratt  delivered  to  him 
the  message  of  his  new-found  truths.  Mr.  Rigdon,  with  many 
of  his  prominent  followers,  among  whom  may  be  mentioned 
Edward  Partridge  and  Newel  K.  Whitney,  afterward  the  first 
two  bishops  of  the  Church,  soon  became  convinced  that  they 
had  no  authority  to  minister  in  the  ordinances  of  God,  hence, 
were  not  legally  baptized  and  ordained.  Consequently  many 
of  them  submitted  to  baptism  at  the  hands  of  Elder  Pratt  and 
his  associates,  through  whose  ministrations  they  were  initiated 
into  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  and  re- 
ceived the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  laying  on  of  hands. 
The  interest  and  excitement  over  the  new  missionaries  became 
general  in  the  surrounding  region.  Night  and  day  they  were 
busy  teaching  the  multitudes  who  came  to  listen.  In  two  or 
three  weeks  after  their  arrival,  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
souls  were  baptized,  which  number  soon  increased  to  one  thou- 
sand. The  new  converts  "were  filled  with  joy  and  gladness; 
while  rage  and  lying  were  abundantly  manifested  by  gainsay- 
ers;  faith  was  strong,  joy  was  great,  and  persecutions  heavy." 

Ordaining  Sidney  Rigdon,  Isaac  Morley,  John  Murdock, 
Lyman  Wight,  Edward  Partridge  and  many  others,  many  of 
whom  afterward  became  noted  in  the  chronicles  of  the  Church, 
to  the  ministry  to  take  charge  of  the  Saints  and  minister  the 
gospel,  the  successful  missionaries,  having  first  notified  the 
Prophet  of  their  progress,  proceeded  westward,  adding  to  their 
number  a  new  convert,  Frederick  G.  Williams. 

At  Sandusky,  in  Western  Ohio,  the  Wyandots  were  visited, 
which  tribe  rejoiced  in  the  strange  tidings  revealed  to  them  of 
their  forefathers,  and  of  the  restored  gospel.  They  were  very 
friendly,  and  bade  the  elders  God-speed  to  the  West,  in  which 
direction  the  red  men  expected  soon  to  follow. 

Thence  the  missionaries  proceeded  to  Cincinnati  and  St. 


34  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OP  THE  CHURCH. 

Louis,  where  they  met  with  little  or  no  success.  In  passing 
his  old  forest  home,  some  fifty  miles  from  Kirtland,  Elder  Pratt 
was  arrested  on  some  trivial  charge,  but  sagaciously  made  his 
escape.  Near  St.  Louis  they  halted,  owing  to  the  dreadful 
storms,  snow  being  three  feet  deep.  With  the  opening  of  the 
new  year,  1831,  they  continued  their  journey,  traveling  on 
foot  three  hundred  miles  through  prairies  covered  with  track- 
less wilds  of  snow,  without  shelter  or  fire,  having  for  food 
frozen  corn  bread  and  raw  pork.  At  length,  Independence, 
Jackson  county,  in  the  extreme  western  frontier  of  Missouri, 
was  reached.  So  far,  the  missionaries  had  been  absent  four 
months,  they  had  traveled  about  fifteen  hundred  miles,  through 
a  comparative  wilderness,  mostly  on  foot,  in  the  worst  season 
of  the  year.  They  had  preached  the  gospel  to  tens  of  thousands 
of  their  own  race,  and  to  two  nations  of  Indians,  besides  having 
confirmed  many  hundreds  and  organized  them  into  branches 
of  the  Church. 

Two  of  the  brethren  remained  at  tailor  work  in  Independ- 
ence, while  Elders  Pratt  and  Cowdery  crossed  the  frontier  to 
the  Indians,  tarrying  one  night  with  the  Shawnees;  after  which 
they  crossed  the  Kansas  River  to  the  Delawares.  Seeking 
the  aged  chief  of  this  nation,  a  polygamist  and  sachem  of  ten 
tribes,  the  missionaries  presented  their  message  to  him  by 
means  of  a  friendly  interpreter.  They  were  received  kindly. 
After  some  hesitancy,  on  the  part  of  the  chief,  a  council  was 
called,  and  Oliver  Cowdery  was  permitted  to  address  the  In- 
dians. Presenting  them  with  a  copy  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
he  gave  an  account  of  its  history,  and  of  the  restoration  of  the 
gospel.  For  several  days  they  remained  to  instruct  the  ab- 
origines, whose  interest  became  intense,  the  excitement  spread- 
ing to  the  whole  tribe.  Finally  the  ministers  and  agents  on 
the  frontier  heard  of  the  excitement,  and  through  them  the 
elders  were  ordered  out  of  the  Indian  country  as  peace-dis- 
turbers, threatened  with  military  interference  in  case  of  non- 
compliance  with  the  order.  Under  these  circumstances,  they 
reluctantly  departed  from  among  the  Indians,  returning  to 
labor  among  the  white  settlers  in  Jackson  county,  where  they 
met  with  some  success. 

At  a  council  of  the  five  elders,  held  in  Independence,  on 
the  14th  day  of  February,  1831,  it  was  decided  to  send  Elder 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  35 

Pratt  east  to  report  their  labors  to  the  Prophet  Joseph.  De- 
parting on  this  perilous  journey,  Elder  Pratt,  after  much  suffer- 
ing, reached  Kirtland,  to  which  city,  the  Prophet  had  now  re- 
moved. Upon  his  arrival  in  March,  1831,  the  Lamanite  mis- 
sionary was  there  greeted  with  a  hearty  reception. 

4.     Removal  of  the  Church  to  Ohio. 

Meantime,  the  cause  of  so-called  "Mormonism"  had  rapidly 
progressed  in  the  East,  through  the  ministrations  of  the  Prophet 
and  his  associates.  In  the  fall  of  1830,  Joseph  had  been  visited 
by  Orson  Pratt,  also  by  Sidney  Rigdon  and  Edward  Partridge 
of  Kirtland,  which  latter  reported  the  condition  of  that  branch 
to  the  Prophet  leader.  These  visitors  came  to  inquire  of  the 
Prophet  what  was  the  will  of  the  Lord  concerning  them.* 

Sidney  Rigdon  was  retained  to  assist  Joseph  as  scribe  in 
the  inspired  revision  of  the  Holy  Bible,  which  work  was  begun 
just  before  the  close  of  the  year  1830. 

Already,  as  we  have  seen,  it  had  been  intimated  that  the 
West  was  the  future  field  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Lat- 
ter-day Saints,  and  with  the  success  of  the  Lamanite  mission- 
aries in  Kirtland,  it  became  evident  to  Joseph  that  the  time  was 
ripe  for  a  general  movement  of  the  Church  towards  the  land 
of  their  future  destiny.  The  visit  of  Sidney  Rigdon  confirmed 
this  idea.  The  site  of  the  new  "city"  had  not  yet  been  definite- 
ly determined,  but  Kirtland  would  be  a  good  resting  place, 
where  a  flourishing  stake  of  Zion  could  be  established,  until 
such  a  time  as  God  should  reveal  the  location  of  the  Zion  which 
was  to  be  "called  the  New  Jerusalem,  a  land  of  peace,  a  city  of 
refuge,  a  place  of  safety  for  the  Saints  of  the  Most  High 
God."  In  Kirtland,  in  the  meantime,  the  Saints  might  rest 
and  gather  strength. 

Then  came  the  first  direct  command  for  the  Saints  to 
gather — the  revelation  which  heralded  the  beginning  of  the 
gathering  of  Israel  in  the  latter  days.  In  it  the  Church  is 
commanded  to  "assemble  together  on  the  Ohio."**  But  before 
going,  Joseph  and  Sidney  were  first  to  preach  and  strengthen 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  34,  35  and  36. 
**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  37, 


36  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

the  Saints  in  the  region  round  about,  and  more  especially  in 
Colesville,  where  the  Saints  were  very  faithful.  This  was  done. 

Preparatory  to  the  emigration  westward,  in  compliance 
with  the  will  of  the  Lord,  a  farewell  gathering,  the  third  con- 
ference of  the  Church,  was  held  at  Fayette,  January  2,  1831. 
On  this  occasion,  all  the  affairs  of  the  Church  in  the  East  were 
settled,  or  left  with  trusted  agents  to  arrange  as  speedily  as 
possible.  During  the  conference,  the  Lord  made  known  to  the 
Saints,  through  revelation,  that  a  land  of  promise  should  be 
given  them,  which  they  should  inherit  forever  on  certain  con- 
ditions.* In  Ohio,  in  the  meantime,  they  were  promised  that 
the  law  of  God  should  be  given  to  them,  and  that  they  should 
be  endowed  with  power  from  on  high. 

Then  the  movement  began.  Toward  the  latter  part 
of  the  month,  the  prophet  and  his  wife,  accompanied  by  Sidney 
Rigdon,  Edward  Partridge,  and  others,  left  on  their  journey  to 
Kirtland,  where  they  arrived  about  February  1,  1831.  Joseph 
introduced  himself  to  Mr.  Newel  K.  Whitney  as  "Joseph  the 
Prophet,"  and  was  by  this  gentleman  kindly  received  and 
entertained.  For  several  weeks,  himself  and  wife  resided  at 
the  home  of  Mr.  Whitney,  where  Joseph's  time  was  occupied 
with  important  matters  that  pertained  to  the  setting  of  the 
Church  in  order. 

Shortly  after  the  Prophet's  arrival  in  Kirtland,  the  Saints 
in  New  York  began  to  migrate.  They  reached  their  destina- 
tion in  May  and  June  following,  and  settled  in  the  northern 
part  of  Ohio,  principally  in  and  about  Kirtland.  The  Ohio 
Saints  were  commanded  to  receive  their  "eastern  brethren,"** 
and  divide  their  lands  with  them,  until  the  Lord  should  further 
direct  the  location  of  the  "city,"  their  land  of  inheritance. 

5.     The  Law  of  Consecration. 

Following  the  departure  of  the  Lamanite  missionaries 
from  Kirtland,  strange  notions  and  false  spirits  had  crept  into 
the  Church  in  this  branch,  which  Joseph  now  immediately  sought 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  38. 
**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  48. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  37 

to  eradicate  and  drive  out,  in  which  work  he  soon  succeeded 
by  the  exercise  of  wisdom  and  caution. 

It  appears  that  the  Campbellites,  evidently  with  a  desire 
to  be  like  the  early  Christians  who  had  all  things  in  common, 
had  organized  in  what  was  called  the  "common  stock"  plan  of 
living.  All  dwelt  together  as  a  family,  and  the  "family"  nearly 
all  joined  the  Church.  Joseph  induced  them  to  abandon  this 
plan  for  the  more  "perfect  law  of  the  Lord,"  which  was  conse- 
cration, or  the  United  Order,  which  now  became  a  law  to  the 
whole  Church. 

The  provisions  of  this  law,  in  short,  were  these:  On  enter- 
ing the  Order,  each  individual  was  to  consecrate  all  his  property 
to  the  bishop,  utterly  relinquishing  its  possession.  The  Church 
would  then  give  a  deed  conveying  to  such  person  certain  prop- 
erty as  a  stewardship  for  himself  and  family,  of  which  he  was 
to  render  an  account  to  the  bishop.  Every  man  was  to  seek 
the  interest  of  his  neighbor,  there  was  to  be  no  idleness,  all 
would  be  owners  alike,  yet  each  steward  was  free  in  the  manage- 
ment of  his  stewardship — temporal  equality  was  to  be  inaugur- 
ated. The  keynote  of  the  order  is  thus  given  by  the  Prophet: 
"It  is  not  given  that  one  man  should  possess  that  which  is 
above  another."  It  was  to  be  a  system  like  that  of  the  Apostles 
at  Jerusalem:  "The  multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of 
one  heart  and  of  one  soul:  neither  said  any  of  them  that  aught 
of  the  things  which  he  possessed  was  his  own;  but  they  had  all 
things  common."*  It  was  to  be  a  system  such  as  prevailed  in 
the  "City  of  Enoch:"  "The  Lord  called  his  people  Zion,  because 
they  were  of  one  heart  and  one  mind  and  dwelt  in  righteousness, 
and  there  was  no  poor  among  them."** 

The  first  movement  towards  the  establishment  of  this 
law  was  the  organization  of  the  bishopric,  the  presidency  of  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood,  which  has  authority  to  minister  in  tem- 
poral things.  The  first  bishop  called  by  revelation***  was  Ed- 
ward Partridge,  who  "was  appointed  by  the  voice  of  the  Church 
and  ordained  a  bishop"  on  the  4th  day  of  February,  1831.  He 


*Acts4:32. 

**For  interesting  discussions  on  this  topic,  see  Whitney's  "History  of  Utah,"  Vol.  1 , 
pp.  82-85;  Roberts'  "Outlines  of  Ecclesiastical  History,"  pp.  353-356;  also  Sections  42 
.and  51,  Doctrine  and  Covenants. 

***Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  41:9, 


38  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

was  to  relinquish  his  business  as  merchant,  and  spend  all  his 
time  in  the  service  of  the  Church.* 

Some  days  after  the  appointment  of  a  bishop,  a  revelation, 
found  in  the  42nd  section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  was 
given  in  which  the  Saints  are  taught  important  doctrines  con- 
cerning the  order  and  the  government  of  the  Church. 

All  the  elders,  except  the  Prophet  and  Sidney  Rigdon, 
are  afterward  commanded  to  go  out,  two  by  two,  to  preach  the 
gospel,  warning  their  converts  to  flee  to  the  West.  The  Lord 
promises  to  reveal  the  location  of  the  New  Jerusalem  in  his 
own  due  time,  for  which  the  Saints  were  instructed  to  pray. 

Thus  was  the  law  of  consecration,  the  Order  of  Enoch,  or 
the  United  Order,  given  to  the  Saints;  but  owing  to  persecu- 
tions, and  to  the  selfishness,  pride  and  disobedience  of  men, 
it  was  not  permanently  founded.  With  the  Saints  it  is  one  of 
the  still  unsettled  problems  of  the  future,  since  the  Lord  has 
said  that  without  it,  Zion  cannot  be  built.**  The  Church 
failed  to  live  up  to  the  order  of  God  in  this  law,  and  hence, 
the  lesser  law  of  tithing  was  given  them  in  lieu  thereof,  in  the 
year  1838.  This  law  requires  the  person  to  pay,  first,  his  sur- 
plus property  to  the  Bishop,  and  after  that,  one-tenth  of  his 
annual  income.*** 

6.     Locating  the  Land  of  Zion. 

On  the  6th  day  of  June,  1831,  the  fourth  general  confer- 
ence of  the  Church  was  held  in  Kirtland,  the  scattered  elders 
attending,  agreeable  to  the  call  by  revelation.  The  number  of 
the  Saints  had  now  swelled  to  about  two  thousand  souls.  Great 
power  was  manifested  in  this  gathering.  The  first  high  priests 
were  ordained,  and  the  power  of  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood 
was  more  fully  manifested  than  had  been  the  case  heretofore. 
Only  Joseph  and  Oliver  up  to  this  time  had  held  a  position  in 


*For  complete  organization  of  the  Bishopric  and  its  duties,  see  Roberts'  "Outlines 
of  Ecclesiastical  History,"  pp.  346-350;  also,  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  42,  verses 
30-32;  and  Section  51,  verses  3-6  and  13-18.  These  quotations  contain  also  a  general  out- 
line of  the  Order  which  was  introduced  and  sought  to  be  established  among  the  Saints  in 
Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  subsequently  in  Missouri.  For  duties  and  responsibilities  of  officers, 
see  "Gospel  Doctrine,"  pp.  187-199. 

**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  105:5. 
***Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  119. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  39 

this  Priesthood  higher  than  a  common  elder,  which  office  is 
an  appendage  to  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood. 

Many  of  the  elders  were  commissioned  to  go  forth,  two  by 
two,  to  preach  and  baptize,  as  did  the  apostles  anciently.* 
They  were  to  go  upon  different  routes,  journeying  towards  the 
Missouri  frontier,  organizing  branches  wherever  the  people 
would  listen  to  their  gospel  message.  They  were  to  meet  in 
the  State  of  Missouri  where  the  next  conference  of  the  Church 
was  to  be  held,  and  at  which  time,  if  faithful,  the  location  of 
their  land  of  inheritance  would  be  made  known  to  them. 

Shortly  after  the  conference,  revelations  were  received  for 
Sidney  Gilbert,**  and  for  Newel  Knight,  the  latter  relating  to 
the  Colesville  branch  of  the  Church,  whose  members  were 
among  the  first  to  embrace  the  gospel,  now  temporarily  located 
at  Thompson,  Ohio. 

They  were  commanded  to  journey  westward,  "unto  the 
borders  of  the  Lamanites."***  They  had  broken  the  law  which 
had  been  given  to  them  in  a  previous  revelation,  and  this  was 
now  declared  "void  and  of  none  effect." 

Then  followed  revelations  for  W.  W.  Phelps,  afterward  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Church,  and  Thomas  B.  Marsh, 
afterward  the  president  of  the  Twelve  apostles,  who  had  come 
to  learn  from  the  Prophet  the  will  of  the  Lord  concerning 
them.**** 

Conforming  to  the  commandment  received  during  con- 
ference, Joseph,  in  company  with  Sidney  Rigdon,  Martin 
Harris,  Edward  Partridge,  W.  W.  Phelps,  Joseph  Coe,  and 
A.  S.  Gilbert  and  wife,  started  from  Kirtland  on  the  19th  of 
June  on  his  first  visit  to  the  land  of  Missouri.  They  were 
followed  by  the  Colesville  Branch,  the  members  of  which  were 
among  the  first  who  received  the  gospel,  and  who  this  time 
obeyed  the  revelation.  Other  elders  who  were  called  departed 
by  different  routes,  bound  for  the  same  destination.  Joseph's 
company,  journeying  by  wagon,  stage,  canal-boat,  steamer  and 
on  foot,  reached  Independence,  Missouri,  about  the  middle  of 
July.  The  meeting  with  Oliver  Cowdery  and  his  missionary 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  52. 
**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  53. 
:**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  54. 
****Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  55  and  56. 


40  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

associates  was  the  occasion  of  great  rejoicing,  and  according 
to  the  Prophet  was  "moistened  with  many  tears." 

Immediately  after  the  arrival  of  Joseph,  the  location  of  the 
City  of  Zion,  the  central  gathering  place  of  the  Saints,  was 
first  definitely  made  known.*  Independence  was  the  chosen 
site,  and  the  spot  for  the  temple  was  designated  as  lying  west- 
ward, on  a  lot  not  far  from  the  courthouse.  According  to  the 
revelation,  lands  were  to  be  purchased  by  the  Saints,  and  the 
soil  in  the  region  was  to  be  dedicated  for  the  gathering  of  Israel, 
and  for  the  building  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  Sidney  Gilbert 
was  appointed  a  merchant,  and  an  agent  for  land  purchases, 
while  Edward  Partridge,  assisted  by  two  counselors,  was  chosen 
to  "divide  the  Saints  their  inheritance,"  to  be  a  judge  in  Israel, 
to  receive  the  consecration  of  properties,  to  assign  steward- 
ships, and  to  receive  the  Saints  then  on  the  way  from  Ohio. 

On  the  1st  of  August,  Sidney  Rigdon  was  called  by  reve- 
lation to  consecrate  and  dedicate  to  the  Lord  the  land  of  Zion, 
to  write  a  description  thereof,  and  to  prepare  "an  epistle  and 
subscription"  to  obtain  money  for  purchasing  lands  for  an  in- 
heritance.** 

The  first  step  toward  founding  Zion  was  taken  on  the  2nd 
day  of  August,  1831.  On  that  day  Joseph,  assisted  by  eleven 
other  men,  the  whole  representing  the  Twelve  Tribes  of  Israel, 
helped  to  lay  a  log  for  a  house  in  Kaw  Township,  twelve  miles 
west  of  Independence,  in  which  locality  the  newly  arrived 
Saints  from  Colesville  were  settling.  Elder  Rigdon  then  dedi- 
cated the  land.  The  following  day,  the  3rd,  witnessed  the 
consecration  of  the  temple  site,  after  which,  on  the  4th,  the 
fifth  conference  of  the  Church  (the  first  in  Zion)  was  held  at 
the  house  of  Joshua  Lewis,  in  Kaw  Township,  most  of  the  Saints 
being  present.  Revelations  were  given  repeating  some  of  the 
ten  commandments,  also  concerning  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
return  of  certain  elders  to  Kirtland,  among  whom  were  Joseph 
Smith,  Oliver  Cowdery  and  Sidney  Rigdon.*** 

Complying  with  the  word  of  the  Lord,  the  Prophet,  in 
company  with  ten  elders,  left  for  the  East,  on  the  9th  day  of 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  57. 
**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  58. 
***Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  59  and  60. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  41 

August.  During  the  interesting  and  eventful  journey,  two 
revelations  were  given  which  were  full  of  counsel  and  instruc- 
tion to  the  brethren.* 

On  the  27th  they  arrived  safe  and  well  in  Kirtland. 

Thus  was  Zion  located  and  dedicated  on  the  western  border 
line  of  civilization,  a  colony  planted  therein,  a  temple  site 
selected,  and  a  migratory  stream  of  Saints  set  in  motion  in  the 
direction  of  the  "promised  land."  In  this  practically  untrodden 
West,  the  Saints  hoped  to  establish  themselves  in  the  City  of 
their  God,  but  they  were  destined  to  disappointment  and  much 
tribulation.** 

7.     Progress  in  Kirtland  and  the  East. 

The  Prophet,  assisted  by  Sidney  Rigdon,  soon  after  turned 
his  attention  to  the  revision  of  the  Scriptures,  which  work  had 
been  stopped  since  the  previous  December.  For  this  purpose, 
he  retired,  with  his  wife  and  two  infants,  twins,  which  they 
had  adopted  in  place  of  twins  of  their  own  who  had  died,  to  the 
quiet  little  town  of  Hiram,  in  Portage  county,  on  September 
12,  1831.  They  made  their  residence  with  John  Johnson,  a 
member  of  the  Church,  the  father  of  the  future  apostles,  Luke 
S.  and  Lyman  E.  Johnson,  and  father-in-law  to  Orson  Hyde, 
later  also  an  apostle. 

While  pursuing  his  literary  labors  in  this  quiet  retreat, 
Joseph  received  many  important  revelations  for  the  guidance 
of  the  Church.  "The  Lord's  Preface  to  the  Book  of  Command- 
ments," and  the  revelation  called  the  "Appendix"  were  given 
in  November.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  same  month,  Oliver 
Cowdery  and  John  Whitmer  departed  for  Jackson  county, 
whither  W.  W.  Phelps  had  preceded  them  for  the  purpose  of 
preparing  to  print  the  book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and 
other  publications.  Interesting  doctrines  were  about  this  time 
revealed  explaining  the  Revelations  of  St.  John,***  and  the 
meaning  of  verse  14,  chapter  vii,  Paul's  First  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians,****  etc.;  likewise  instructions  concerning  the 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  61  and  62. 
**Foretold  in  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  58,  verses  2-5. 
!**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  77. 
****Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  74. 


42  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Bishopric  of  the  Church.  *  On  the  fourth  day  of  December, 
a  second  Bishop,  Newel  K.  Whitney,  was  chosen  for  the  Kirt- 
land  stake  of  Zion. 

Teachings  were  enunciated  upon  which  are  based  a  number 
of  very  important  religious  doctrines  of  the  Latter-day  Saints 
— doctrines,  at  that  time,  largely,  if  not  entirely,  new  to  the 
religious  world.  In  the  "Vision"**  is  set  forth  the  doctrine  of 
universal  salvation,  in  different  degrees  of  glory  for  all  men 
save  the  "sons  of  perdition,"  upon  the  condition  of  justice  and 
mercy,  according  to  their  faithfulness  and  obedience  to  the 
gospel  of  Christ,  each  person  being  judged  according  to  his 
works  and  receiving  according  to  his  knowledge  and  merits. 
Little  children  are  saved  by  the  blood  of  Christ.  For  the 
heathen  who  died  without  law,  there  is  hope;  and  even  for  the 
wicked,  who  are  "thrust  down  to  hell,"  there  is  escape,  after 
they  have  paid  "the  uttermost  farthing"  in  God's  eternal 
punishment,  which  does  not  necessarily  mean  never-ending 
punishment,  but  punishment  inflicted  by  the  Eternal 
One.  There  were  spirits  kept  in  the  prison  house  beyond,  whom 
the  Son  visited,  preaching  to  them  the  Gospel.  They  would 
have  the  privilege  of  receiving  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  and, 
accepting  it,  be  judged  according  to  men  in  the  flesh. 

Besides  continuing  his  literary  labors,  the  Prophet  took 
active  part  in  the  ministry,  attending  a  number  of  conferences, 
and  instructing  the  Church  verbally  and  by  written  epistles. 
The  while,  persecution  did  not  abate.  Ezra  Booth,  who  had 
apostatized,  was  at  this  time  writing  his  series  of  nine  letters 
in  the  Ohio  Star,  against  Joseph  and  the  "Mormons."  They 
were  the  means  of  creating  great  prejudice  against  the  Prophet 
and  his  cause,  and  not  that  alone,  but  persecution  also.  He  and 
Sidney  Rigdon  were  brutally  treated  by  a  mob,  at  Hiram,  on 
the  night  of  March  25,  1832.  Joseph  was  stripped,  covered 
with  tar,  beaten,  and  an  attempt  was  also  made  to  force  a 
bottle  of  aqua  fortis  down  his  throat.  The  next  day,  though 
scarred  and  wounded,  found  him  preaching  to  a  large  congre- 
gation, many  of  whom  had  assisted  in  mistreating  him  the 
previous  night.  That  day  he  baptized  three  new  converts. 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  68  and  72. 
**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  76. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  43 

Sidney  Rigdon  was  delirious  for  some  time  after  the  outrage. 
The  mobocratic  feeling  became  so  rampant  that  the  Prophet 
considered  it  wisdom  to  leave. 

He  then  departed  on  his  second  visit  to  Missouri,  in  April, 
being  joined  on  the  way  by  Sidney  Rigdon  and  Bishop  Whitney. 
They  took  a  circuitous  route  to  avoid  the  mob.  Before  his 
wife,  Emma,  left  Hiram,  one  of  the  twins  died  as  a  result  of 
exposure  on  the  night  of  the  outrage  upon  her  husband.  This 
little  one  may  be  called  the  first  martyr  in  the  Church. 

On  his  arrival  in  Independence,  Missouri,  April  24,  the 
Prophet  was  well  received  by  the  Saints,  but  was  pained  to 
learn  their  enemies  were  already  beginning  to  heap  upon  them 
insults  and  annoyances  that  were  to  end  in  their  cruel  exile 
from  Jackson  county. 

Having  visited  and  instructed  among  the  Saints,  received 
two  important  revelations,*  ordered  three  thousand  copies  of 
the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  printed,  and  been  acknowledged 
as  president  of  the  High  Priesthood — to  which  office  he  had 
been  ordained  at  the  seventh  general  conference  of  the  Church, 
in  Amherst,  Ohio,  on  January  25 — Joseph  and  his  two  com- 
panions again  started  on  a  trip  to  Kirtland,  early  in  May. 
In  Indiana,  Bishop  Whitney  broke  his  leg,  which  delayed  them 
one  month  in  Greenville.  At  this  place  an  attempt  was  made 
to  poison  the  Prophet,  and  he  narrowly  escaped  death. 

Arriving  in  Kirtland,  sometime  in  June,  Joseph  spent  the 
season  working  upon  the  revision  of  the  Scriptures.  His  son 
Joseph,  now  deceased  leader  of  the  Josephite,  or  Reorganized, 
church,  was  born  on  the  3rd  of  November  of  that  year.  In 
December,  the  "revelation  and  prophecy  on  war"**  was  re- 
corded, which  the  Latter-day  Saints  claim  was  literally,  though 
only  partially,  fulfilled  in  the  great  conflict  between  the  North- 
ern and  the  Southern  states  of  the  Union — the  civil  war. 

The  Church  continued  to  prosper,  branches  being  founded 
in  various  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada.  During 
the  winter  of  1832-3,  the  school  of  the  prophets  was  established, 
and  a  temple  at  Kirtland  was  projected,  the  corner  stones  of 
which  were  laid  on  the  23rd  of  July  following.  The  revision 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  82  and  83. 
**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  87. 


44  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

of  the  New  Testament  was  completed  on  the  2nd  of  February, 
1833,  and  the  manuscript  sealed  to  be  opened  in  Zion,  Jackson 
county,  Missouri. 

Several  revelations,  of  great  consequence  to  the  Church, 
among  them  the  revelation  on  the  Word  of  Wisdom,  were  made 
known.* 

On  the  18th  day  of  March,  1833,  the  First  Presidency,  the 
highest  presiding  quorum  in  the  Church,  was  first  organized, 
with  the  following  personnel:  Joseph  Smith,  president;  Sidney 
Rigdon,  first  counselor;  Frederick  G.  Williams,  second  coun- 
selor. *  * 

Prosperity  smiled  upon  the  cause  in  Kirtland  and  the  east. 
Over  $11, 000  worth  of  land  was  purchased,  upon  which  the  Saints 
were  to  build  and  beautify  the  city,  surnamed  "Shinehah,"*** 
while  awaiting  further  developments  in  Missouri,  "the  land  of 
Zion."  Workshops,  mills,  and  public  buildings  were  erected, 
and  various  industries  established. 

8.     Expulsion  from  Jadkson  County. 

In  the  midst  of  this  prosperity,  Oliver  Cowdery  arrived  in 
Kirtland,  in  the  beginning  of  September,  1833,  a  messenger 
from  the  Saints  in  Missouri,  bringing  the  sad  news  of  the 
serious  disturbances  and  persecutions  in  Jackson  county. 

There  were  now  about  twelve  hundred  Saints  in  Missouri, 
which  number  was  being  augmented  constantly  by  immigra- 
tion. They  had  improved  their  purchased  lands,  established 
industries,  reaped  rich  harvests;  they  had  a  paper  called  the 
Evening  and  Morning  Star,  edited  by  W.  W.  Phelps,  established 
in  June,  1832;  Parley  P.  Pratt  presided  over  a  school  of  sixty 
elders,  and  the  gospel  was  being  preached  to  the  people  there- 
abouts with  success.  The  Saints  were  thrifty,  industrious, 
tended  their  own  affairs;  in  short,  "minded  their  own  business," 
a  standard  creed  with  the  "Mormons."  They  doubtless  had 
faults,  and  some  were  indiscreet.  Blinded  by  their  own  ideas, 
perhaps  others  said  things  that  were  not  wise,  gave  utterance 
to  sentiments  which  offended  the  people  not  of  their  faith; 
but  where  such  was  the  case,  it  was  in  violation  of  the  teachings 

*See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  88  to  92. 

**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  90:6;  "History  of  the  Church,"  Vol.  1,  p.  334. 
***Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  104:21 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  45 

of  their  religion  which  inculcates  the  principles  of  living  at 
peace  with  all  men.  They  were  law-abiding  and  peaceable 
citizens. 

There  being  no  law  that  would  rid  the  country  thereabouts 
of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  it  was  wickedly  determined  by  their 
enemies  that  this  should  be  done  without  law.  As  early  as 
April  of  this  year,  a  meeting  was  called  to  devise  means  as 
to  the  best  way  to  dispose  of  the  "Mormons."  That  gather- 
ing was  unsuccessful,  but  another,  held  about  the  middle  of 
July,  succeeded.  At  this  meeting  in  Independence,  some  three 
hundred  persons  met  to  devise  a  plan  for  expelling  the  Saints. 
They  signed  a  declaration  accusing  the  "Mormons"  of  blas- 
phemy, pretensions  to  miracles,  and  healing  the  sick,  casting 
out  devils,  and  tampering  with  the  negro  slaves  and  the  Indians, 
and  declaring  the  Indian  country  to  be  theirs  by  heavenly  in- 
heritance. Later,  at  a  meeting  of  five  hundred  of  the  mob,  on 
the  20th,  the  above  charges  were  reiterated,  others  being  added, 
and  it  was  resolved  that  they  leave  the  country  forthwith, 
that  no  "Mormon"  be  allowed  to  settle  there  in  the  future,  and 
that  the  printing  of  the  Star  be  suspended.  A  committee  was 
appointed  to  inform  the  leaders  of  this  decision.  The  latter 
asked  for  time  to  consider.  This  only  aroused  the  fury  of  the 
mob,  who  immediately  gathered  around  the  printing  office, 
tore  it  down  and  scattered  the  material  through  the  street. 
Other  outrages  followed.  Bishop  Partridge  was  covered  with 
tar  and  feathers,  and  others  of  the  Saints  were  threatened  and 
abused.  Clergymen  and  other  prominent  citizens  took  part 
in  these  lawless  acts.  Lieutenant-Governor  Linburn  W.  Boggs 
said  to  some  of  the  "Mormons:"  "You  now  know  what  our 
Jackson  county  boys  can  do,  and  you  must  leave  the  country." 

Three  days  after  these  outrages  were  committed,  another 
larger  meeting  was  held,  another  committee  chosen.  Realiz- 
ing that  their  liberties  were  lost,  that  it  was  useless  to  with- 
stand the  rioters,  the  Saints  entered  into  a  peace  agreement 
with  the  mob.  They  would  leave  the  country — one  half  of 
them  on  January  1,  1834,  and  the  remainder  on  April  1.  The 
Star  would  be  suspended;  immigration  would  cease.  In  return 
for  these  concessions,  the  mob  committee  agreed,  and  the 
action  was  ratified  by  the  meeting,  that  the  Saints  should  be 
molested  no  more. 


46  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

This  was,  in  substance,  the  message  that  Oliver  Cowdery 
carried  to  Kirtland.  In  reply,  the  Prophet  sent  an  epistle  and 
messengers  to  comfort  and  advise  the  people  in  their  unfortu- 
nate circumstances,  but  when  they  arrived  in  Missouri,  in  the 
latter  part  of  September,  they  found  that  the  mob  had  broken 
its  pledge,  and  fresh  outrages  against  the  Saints  were  in 
progress. 

"The  'Mormons'  must  go,"  was  the  general  cry.  The 
Saints  appealed  to  the  State  executive  for  military  aid  in  vain. 
That  functionary  advised  them  to  try  the  law.  Following  his 
advice  brought  only  disaster.  It  was  like  applying  fire  to 
powder.  Soon  the  whole  country  arose  in  arms  to  make  war 
upon  the  unfortunate,  peculiar  people.  It  was  on  the  30th 
and  31st  of  October  and  the  1st  of  November  that  the  most 
furious  attacks  were  made.  Men  were  beaten,  houses  unroofed, 
property  destroyed,  women  and  children  driven  screaming 
into  the  wilderness. 

Four  of  the  Saints  went  to  a  circuit  judge  for  a  peace 
warrant,  but  were  told  that  it  would  not  be  issued  for  fear  of 
the  mob.  The  judge  advised  them  to  "shoot  down"  the  out- 
laws, if  these  came  again  upon  them.  At  the  next  onslaught, 
the  Saints  prepared  to  carry  out  this  advice,  notwithstanding 
their  repugnance  to  the  taking  of  human  life.  On  the  4th 
of  November  a  battle  ensued.  One  "Mormon"  was  killed, 
several  were  wounded,  and  two  mobbers  bit  the  dust.  A  gen- 
eral "Mormon"  "uprising"  was  now  heralded  abroad.  On 
November  5,  Lieutenant-Governor  Boggs  ordered  out  the 
militia  to  suppress  the  alleged  insurrection.  This  only  made 
matters  worse.  The  mob  was  permitted  to  obtain  what  had 
been  denied  to  the  Saints — the  militia.  Boggs  permitted  the 
mob  to  enroll  themselves  among  the  troops.  He  demanded 
that  the  "Mormons"  lay  down  their  arms,  and  he  seized  a 
number  of  them  to  be  tried  for  murder,  telling  the  remainder 
to  leave  the  country.  To  do  this  they  had  no  time.  Col. 
Pitcher,  afterward  court-martialed  for  his  cruelty,  turned  his 
mob-militia  upon  the  disarmed  and  helpless  Saints;  then  fol- 
lowed scenes  beggaring  description.  "Armed  bands  of  ruffians 
ranged  the  country  in  every  direction,  bursting  into  houses, 
terrifying  women  and  children  and  threatening  the  defenseless 
people  with  death  if  they  did  not  instantly  flee.  Out  upon  the 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  47 

bleak  prairies,  along  the  Missouri's  banks,  chilled  by  Novem- 
ber's winds  and  drenched  by  pouring  rains,  hungry  and  shelter- 
less, weeping  and  heart-broken,  wandered  forth  the  exiles. 
Families  scattered  and  divided,  husbands  seeking  wives,  wives 
husbands,  parents  searching  for  their  children,  not  knowing  if 
they  were  yet  alive."* 

Thus  were  between  twelve  and  fifteen  hundred  souls  ex- 
pelled from  their  homes  and  possessions  in  Jackson  county, 
three  hundred  of  their  houses  burned,  ten  settlements  left 
desolate.  Most  of  the  exiles  found  refuge  in  Clay  county,  just 
across  the  river,  where  they  were  kindly  received. 

The  highest  authorities  in  the  state  and  nation  were  asked 
for  redress,  but  the  nation's  executive  could  not  interfere  with- 
out petition  from  the  state  authorities,  and  the  state  authori- 
ties would  do  nothing,  because  they  were  either  in  fear  of  or 
in  sympathy  with  the  mob.  Leading,  fair-minded  citizens 
regarded  the  outrage  as  a  grave  stain  upon  the  name  of  Mis- 
souri, but  all  in  vain;  to  this  day,  without  recompense,  the 
Saints  remain  dispossessed  of  their  rightful  inheritance  in  their 
promised  Zion. 

9.     High  Council  Organized. 

In  the  latter  part  of  November,  messengers  arrived  in 
Kirtland  giving  details  of  the  outrages  that  had  been  committed 
in  Missouri.  At  this  time,  all  was  not  peace  in  Kirtland.  The 
Prophet  had  been  harassed  with  lawsuits,  and  fears  were  even 
entertained  for  his  life,  so  much  so  that  trusty  friends  guarded 
him  night  and  day.  There  were  various  other  annoyances, 
among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  strife  which  Dr.  Hurl- 
burt,  with  his  lying  stories,  succeeded  in  arousing  by  lecturing 
in  various  places  round  about.  This  Dr.  Hurlburt  had  been 
excommunicated  from  the  Church  for  immoral  conduct;  he 
it  was  who  originated  the  theory  of  connecting  the  Book  of 
Mormon  with  the  Spaulding  story,  a  theory  now  recognized 
as  false  by  the  best  authorities  outside  of  the  Church,  and  of 


*Whitney's  "History  of  Utah,"  Vol.  1,  p.  108. 


48  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

course  always  known  and  declared  to  be  false  by  members  of 
the  Church.* 

It  was  now  decided  to  establish  the  printing  press  in  Kirt- 
land;  Oliver  Cowdery  became  editor  of  the  Star. 

On  the  17th  of  February,  1834,  an  important  step  was 
taken.  On  that  day  the  first  High  Council  of  the  Church  was 
organized.**  It  was  composed  of  twelve  High  Priests,  over 
whom  three  others  of  the  same  order  were  to  preside.  There  is 
now  (1920)  a  High  Council  in  each  of  the  eighty-three  stakes 
of  Zion,  each  of  which  is  presided  over  by  the  Presidency  of  the 
stake*** — three  High  Priests  who  are  themselves  amenable  to 
the  First  Presidency  of  the  Church. 

The  duty  of  this  council  is  to  adjust  difficulties  between 
members  of  the  Church,  which  have  been  brought  up  on  ap- 
peal from  the  ward  bishop's  court  by  the  "district"  teachers, 
or  otherwise.  The  High  Council  has  also  original  jurisdiction. 
The  council  was  appointed  by  revelation,  and  the  object  of 
its  organization  is  to  prevent  strife  and  disunion,  to  assist  the 
members  of  the  Church  to  adjust  their  difficulties  without  cost- 
ly litigation,  which  the  Church  leaders  do  not  favor  among 
their  followers.  Excommunication  from  the  Church  is  the  ex- 
treme penalty  decreed  by  this  council;  while  suspension  from 
membership,  or  from  the  privileges  of  Church  communion,  and, 
in  certain  cases,  excommunication  is  the  greatest  punishment 
inflicted  by  the  bishop's  court. 

The  order  of  adjusting  difficulties,  then,  in  the  Church 
between  members  is  this:  If  a  person  offend  another,  the  per- 
son so  offended  shall  go  alone  to  the  one  who  gave  offense, 
and  tell  him  of  his  fault;  if  the  offender  confess,  the  offended 


"President  James  H.  Fairchild,  in  the  "New  York  Observer,"  of  February  5,  1885, 
speaking  of  the  discovery  by  Mr.  Rice  of  the  Spaulding  Romance,  says:  "The  theory  of  the 
origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  the  traditional  manuscript  of  Solomon  Spaulding  will 
probably  have  to  be  relinquished.  Mr.  Rice,  myself  and  others  compared  it  (the  Spaulding 
manuscript)  with  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  could  detect  no  resemblance  between  the  two 
in  general  or  detail.  There  seems  to  be  no  name  or  incident  common  to  the  two.  Some 
other  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  must  be  found  if  any  explanation 
is  required." 

For  a  complete  history  of  the  "Manuscript  Found,"  see  statements  of  President  Joseph 
F.  Smith,  "ImprotemtntEra,"  Vol.  3,  pp.  241,  377,  451. 

**For  the  names  of  the  High  Priests  composing  this  Council,  and  the  duties  of  High 
Councils  in  general,  see  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  102. 

***A  "stake"  is  a  division  of  the  Church  presided  over  by  a  Council  of  three  High 
Priests;  a  "ward"  is  a  division  of  a  stake,  in  which  a  bishop  and  his  two  counselors  exercise 
supervision;  a  "district"  is  a  subdivision  of  a  ward  in  which  presiding  teachers  look  after 
the  interests  of  Church  members.  There  are  at  present  84.2  wards  in  the  Church,  48 
independent  branches,  and  22  missions,  (1920.) 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  49 

shall  be  reconciled;  if  not,  then  witnesses  shall  be  taken,  and 
if  still  there  is  no  reconciliation,  then  the  matter  may  be  taken 
to  the  bishop's  court  for  settlement.  From  this  court  either 
party  may  make  an  appeal  to  the  High  Council,  whose  decision 
is  final,  and  if  not  complied  with  results  in  the  guilty  party 
losing  his  standing  in  the  Church.*  An  appeal,  under  certain 
circumstances,  may  be  made  from  this  council's  decision  to  the 
Presidency  of  the  Church. 

10.     Zion's  Camp. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1834,  Parley  P.  Pratt  and  Lyman 
Wight,  messengers  from  the  Saints  in  Missouri,  came  to  Kirt- 
land  to  counsel  with  the  Prophet  regarding  the  exiled  people 
of  Zion,  and,  if  possible,  adopt  some  measure  for  their  relief 
and  the  restoration  of  their  rights.  The  result  of  their  visit 
was  a  further  mission  East,  for  reasons  set  forth  in  the  101st 
and  103rd  sections  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants;  and  finally, 
the  assembling  of  about  two  hundred  men,  with  twenty  wagons 
laden  with  supplies,  to  carry  provisions  to  the  Saints  in  Mis- 
souri, to  reinforce  and  strengthen  them,  and  if  possible  to  in- 
fluence the  Governor  to  restore  to  them  their  rights.  They 
were  also  to  "redeem  Zion,"  or,  in  other  words,  seek  to  regain 
possession  of  the  lands  from  which  they  had  been  driven  in 
Jackson  county.  This  company  of  men  were  organized  as  a 
military  body,  led  by  the  Prophet  in  person,  as  general,  and 
was  known  as  Zion's  Camp. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  one  hundred  men  departed  from  Kirt- 
land  for  Missouri,  and  the  remainder,  to  the  number  of  two 
hundred  and  five,  were  recruited  on  the  way.  Composed  of  the 
young  and  middle-aged  men — the  strength  of  the  branches  of  the 
Church  in  the  East — there  were  many  elders  in  this  expedi- 
tion who  afterwards  became  pillars  of  great  strength  in  the 
Church.  Among  the  most  prominent  of  these  may  be  named 
Brigham  Young,  Heber  C.  Kimball,  Wilford  Woodruff,  Orson 
Pratt,  Jedediah  M.  Grant  and  George  A.  Smith. 

The  news  of  their  coming,  supplemented  with  exaggerated 
reports  of  their  strength  and  intentions,  created  considerable 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  42,  verses  88  to  91.    Roberts'  "Ecclesiastical  History," 
pp.  352-354.     Matt.  18:15-17. 


50  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

excitement  in  Missouri.  Their  enemies  armed  to  attack  them. 
One  night  on  Fishing  River,  the  Camp  was  saved  from  their 
foes  by  a  severe  storm  which  swelled  the. stream  so  that  it  be- 
came impassable.  Military  aid  was  sought  from  the  Governor, 
who  at  first  seems  to  have  promised  to  call  out  the  militia  to 
reinstate  the  exiles,  but  afterward  said  that  he  had  no  authority 
to  keep  a  force  to  protect  them  after  they  were  restored;  which, 
in  other  words,  meant  a  refusal  to  do  anything  for  them.  After- 
ward, prominent  citizens  visited  the  Camp,  and  learned  that  the 
Prophet's  intentions  were  peaceable.  He  only  wished  to  am- 
icably adjust  the  difficulties  between  the  county  and  his  fol- 
lowers. 

Among  the  members  of  the  Camp,  at  one  time,  dissen- 
sions arose,  and  for  their  disobedience  and  rebellions  the 
Prophet  severely  reprimanded  some  of  them,  predicting  that 
a  scourge  would  come  upon  the  Camp  because  of  their  folly. 
On  the  22nd  of  June,  cholera  broke  out  in  their  midst,  in  ful- 
filment of  his  prediction.  Sixty-eight  were  attacked,  thirteen 
men  died.* 

At  Rush  Creek,  on  the  25th  of  June,  the  Camp  was  dis- 
banded, having  apparently  accomplished  nothing  of  impor- 
tance. Negotiations  were  entered  into  between  the  "Mor- 
mon" leaders  and  the  men  of  Jackson  county.  The  latter  offer- 
ed to  purchase  the  land  from  which  the  Saints  had  been  driven, 
but  the  "Mormons"  declined,  deeming  it  sacrilege  to  dispose  of 
their  "sacred  inheritance."  Then  the  Saints  made  a  counter 
proposal  to  purchase  the  land  of  those  who  did  not  wish  to 
live  neighbors  to  them  in  peace,  promising  that  it  would  be 
paid  for  within  a  year.  This  offer  their  opponents  rejected, 
intimating  that  it  would  be  better  for  them  to  look  for  a  new 
home  in  the  wilderness  beyond  the  distant  county  of  Clinton. 

For  their  possessions  in  Jackson  county,  the  Saints  re- 
ceived nothing  but  threats  and  beatings.  In  Clay,  they  found 
a  peaceful  home  where  they  prospered  for  about  three  years, 
during  which  time  affairs  in  Kirtland  were  shaping  for  rich 
spiritual  blessings,  as  well  as  for  the  fearful  financial  crash  and 
apostasy  of  1837,  which  came  near  culminating  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Church. 


*See  "History  Wilford  Woodruff,"  pp.  37-45. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  51 

The  Prophet  and  his  associates  returned  to  Kirtland  on 
the  9th  of  July,  1834,  after  having  organized,  on  the  3rd  inst., 
a  High  Council  in  Clay  county,  with  a  Stake  Presidency  to 
take  charge  of  Church  affairs  in  Missouri.* 

11.     Apostles  and  Seventies  Chosen. 

If  it  be  conceded  that  Zion's  Camp  failed  in  accomplishing 
the  ostensible  purposes  for  which  it  was  organized,  it  cannot  be 
denied  that  it  was  a  success  in  trying  the  mettle  of  its  members. 
A  journey  of  over  two  thousand  miles  on  foot,  in  rain  and  mud, 
exposed  to  sickness  and  death,  is  sufficient  to  prove  the  tem- 
perament, courage  and  fortitude  of  any  person  who  may  en- 
gage in  it.  Possibly  this  was  one  of  the  objects  the  Prophet  had 
in  view,  as  might  be  inferred  from  the  next  important  measure 
which  he  was  inspired  to  adopt — the  choosing  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles,  the  quorum  next  in  authority  to  the  First  Presidency. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1835,  the  survivors  of  Zion's 
Camp  were  called  together,  and  from  their  numbers  were 
chosen,  by  the  Three  Witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  Twelve 
Apostles,  each  of  whom  was  blessed  and  set  apart  by  the  First 
Presidency,  the  whole  being  in  conformity  with  the  word  of 
the  Lord  received  as  early  as  June,  1829.** 

The  names  of  the  quorum  of  Twelve  were:  Thomas  B. 
Marsh,  David  W.  Patten,  Brigham  Young,  Heber  C.  Kimball, 
Orson  Hyde,  Wm.  E.  McLellin,  Parley  P.  Pratt,  Luke  Johnson, 
William  Smith,  Orson  Pratt,  John  F.  Boynton  and  Lyman 
Johnson.  These  were  chosen  as  special  witnesses  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  the  duty  of  the  quorum, 
besides,  was,  as  it  is  now,  to  build  up  the  Church,  to  regulate 
its  affairs  under  the  First  Presidency,  to  ordain  and  set  in  order 
all  the  officers  in  the  Church,  and  to  call  upon  the  Seventy  to 
assist  them  to  fill  calls  for  preaching  and  administering  the 
gospel.  They  form  a  quorum  equal  in  authority  and  power 
to  the  First  Presidency,  and  stand  next  to  them  in  presiding.  *  *  * 

*The  Stake  Presidency  were:  David  Whitmer,  Wm.  W.  Phelps  and  John  Whitmer. 
The  members  of  the  High  Council:  Simeon  Carter,  Parley  P.  Pratt,  William  E.  McLellin, 
Calvin  Beebe,  Levi  Jackman,  Solomon  Hancock,  Christian  Whitmer,  Newel  Knight, 
Orson  Pratt,  Lyman  Wight,  Thomas  B.  Marsh  and  John  Murdock. 

**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  18:27-29,  37. 

***Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  107,  verses  23  to  40  and  58,  in  which  section  is  also 
found  information  regarding  the  duties  and  powers  of  the  various  councils  and  quorums 
of  the  Priesthood  that  govern  the  temporal  and  spiritual  affairs  of  the  Church. 


52  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Soon  after  the  organization  of  the  Twelve,  the  First  and 
Second  quorums  of  Seventies  were  likewise  chosen  from  the 
surviving  members  of  Zion's  Camp.  "These  quorums,  as  could 
be  inferred  from  their  being  called  Seventies'  quorums,  consist 
of  seventy  men.  Seven  presidents  preside  over  each  quorum, 
and  the  first  seven  presidents — the  presidents  of  the  first 
quorum — preside  over  all  the  quorums  of  Seventies  in  the 
Church."*  Up  to  August,  1917,  there  had  been  one  hundred 
and  ninety-five  quorums  of  this  class  organized  in  the  Church, 
there  were  two  hundred  and  two,  in  April,  1920,  and  the  or- 
ganization of  more  will  continue,  if  it  be  required,  "even  until 
there  are  one  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand  thus  set 
apart  for  the  ministry."** 

Early  in  May,  the  Twelve  started  upon  their  first  mission 
to  the  Eastern  states.  The  duties  devolving  upon  them  were 
to  preach,  baptize,  advise  the  scattered  Saints  to  gather  west- 
ward; and  to  collect  means  for  the  purchase  of  lands  in  Missouri, 
and  for  the  completion  of  the  Kirtland  temple. 

About  this  time,  various  secular  and  religious  schools  were 
established,  which  were  widely  attended  by  the  leading  elders. 
In  the  winter  of  1835-36,  Mr.  Joshua  Seixas  conducted  a  class 
in  Greek,  concerning  the  progress  of  which  Joseph  said  that 
the  Lord  had  opened  their  minds  in  a  -marvelous  manner  to 
understand  his  word  in  the  original  language.  The  Prophet  had 
great  taste  for  education,  and,  though  unlearned  at  first,  at 
the  age  of  thirty,  he  became  quite  proficient  in  language,  philo- 
sophy and  statesmanship.***  He  was  ever  a  staunch  friend 
of  progress  and  enlightenment,  which  may  with  equal  truth 
be  said  of  his  successors,  and  the  leaders  of  the  Church  in 
general,  though  the  enemies  of  "Mormonism"  aver  the  con- 
trary, often  asserting  that  the  system  fosters  ignorance  and  is 
opposed  to  education.  The  educational  precepts  of  the  Prophet, 
which  have  become  mottoes-in-practice  with  every  Latter- 
day  Saint,  give  the  lie  to  their  assertions:  "It  is  impossible Nto 
be  saved  in  ignorance,"  "A  man  is  saved  no  faster  than  he 
gets  knowledge;"  "The  glory  of  God  is  intelligence;"  "Seek 


*Roberts"  "Outlines  of  Ecclesiastical  History,"  p.  337. 
**So  writes  the  Prophet  Joseph,  under  date  of  May  1,  1835. 
^^Improvement  Era,  Vol.  23,  April,  1920,  p.  560-75;  May,  p.  646;  June,  p.  701. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  53 

ye  out  of  the  best  books  words  of  wisdom;  seek  learning  even 
by  study  and  also  by  faith." 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  "Book  of  Abraham," 
printed  subsequently  in  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price,  was  translated 
from  papyrus  found  in  the  catacombs  of  Egypt.*  On  August 
17,  1835,  the  book  of  "Doctrine  and  Covenants"  was  present- 
ed to  the  general  assembly  of  the  Church  at  Kirtland,  called 
to  consider  the  labors  of  a  committee  appointed  the  year  be- 
fore to  compile  the  revelations  now  contained  in  the  "Doc- 
trine and  Covenants."  The  committee,  consisting  of  Joseph 
Smith,  Jr.,  Sidney  Rigdon,  Oliver  Cowdery  and  Frederick 
G.  Williams,  deemed  it  proper  to  have  the  work  approved  by 
the  authorities  of  the  Church,  that  the  revelations  might  thus 
become  a  law  and  rule  of  faith  and  practice  to  the  Church. 
The  several  gathered  authorities,  as  well  as  the  general  as- 
sembly, approved  their  labors  and  accepted  and  acknowledged 
the  book  as  the  doctrine  and  covenants  of  their  faith,  by  unan- 
imous vote.**  The  views  of  the  Church  on  governments  and 
laws  in  general  (Doctrine  and  Covenants,  134)  were,  at  the 
same  time,  accepted,  adopted  and  ordered  printed  in  the  book. 

Immediately  upon  the  return  of  the  members  of  Zion's 
Camp,  the  work  on  the  temple  in  Kirtland,  which  had  been 
hindered  by  their  absence,  was  prosecuted  with  vigor  and 
zeal,  the  Saints  being  anxious  to  receive  the  spiritual  blessings 
which  had  been  promised  them  upon  the  completion  of  the 
House  of  the  Lord.***  The  Prophet  supervised  the  work, 
while  leading  elders  joined  in  pushing  it  to  completion.  It  was 
finally  dedicated  on  the  27th  of  March,  1836,  though  not  en- 
tirely finished  in  the  interior.  Three  years  had  been  spent  in 
its  construction,  which  had  cost  about  $70,000.  It  was  the 
first  temple  in  modern  times  built  by  divine  command.  At 
that  time  the  ordinance  of  baptism  for  the  dead,  with  other 


*"On  the  3rd  of  July,  1835,  Michael  H.  Chandler  came  to  Kirtland  to  exhibit  some 
Egyptian  mummies.  There  were  four  human  figures,  together  with  some  two  or  more 
rolls  <ft  papyrus  covered  with  hieroglyphic  figures  and  devices."  .  .  .  "Soon  after  this, 
some  of  the  Saints  in  Kirtland  purchased  the  mummies  and  the  papyrus,  and  with  W.  W. 
Phelps  and  Oliver  Cowdery  as  scribes,  I  commenced  the  translation  of  some  of  the  charac- 
ters, or  hieroglyphics,  and  much  to  our  joy  found  that  one  of  the  rolls  contained  the  writ- 
ings of  Abraham,  another  the  writings  of  Joseph  of  Egypt,  etc., — a  more  full  account  of 
which  will  appear  in  its  place,  as  I  proceed  to  examine  or  unfold  them." — "History  of  the 
Church,"  Vol.  II,  pp.  235-236. 

**"History  of  the  Church,"  Vol.  2,  pp.  243-251. 
***Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  105:12-18;  also  section  38:32. 


54  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

vicarious  work,  one  of  the  chief  objects  of  temple-building 
with  the  Saints  at  present,  had  not  been  revealed.  For  that 
reason  there  was  no  baptismal  font  in  the  Kirtland  temple. 
The  main  purpose  of  its  erection  was  that  other  religious  or- 
dinances might  be  performed  therein,  and  that  there  might  be 
a  House  of  the  Lord  in  which  spiritual  blessings  could  be  re- 
ceived, a  place  also  for  schools,  meetings  and  councils  of  the 
Priesthood. 

Upon  the  day  of  its  dedication,*  there  was  a  time  of  gen- 
eral rejoicing,  and  thereafter  many  miraculous  manifestations 
were  witnessed  therein,**  some  of  which  are  named  in  the 
110th  section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  are  in  ful- 
filment of  the  words  of  the  Prophet  Malachi,  as  recorded  in  his 
4th  chapter.  Some  time  after  the  dedication,  according  to  the 
words  of  the  Lord,  the  Twelve  Apostles  held  the  "Solemn 
Assembly,"  were  endowed  with  power  from  on  high,  and  re- 
ceived their  "washings  and  anointings." 

12.     Departure  from  Clay  County — Kirtland  Apostasy 
and  Failure — English  Mission. 

Returning  now  to  Missouri:  After  their  expulsion  from 
Jackson  county  the  Saints  were  received  with  some  degree  of 
kindness  in  Clay,  where  for  about  three  years  their  industry 
and  thrift  caused  the  wilderness  to  blossom  with  abundance. 
Their  numbers  were  greatly  enlarged  by  immigrations  from  the 
East.  It  was  considered,  however,  a  temporary  home,  since 
they  hoped  to  be  reinstated  in  the  lands  from  which  they  had 
been  driven. 

Until  the  summer  of  1836  there  had  been  no  objection  to 
them.  They  were  peaceable,  industrious,  attended  to  their 
own  affairs.  But  at  that  time,  the  spirit  of  mobocracy  reap- 
peared, wakened  from  its  temporary  slumber  by  the  men  of 
Jackson,  who  began  crossing  the  river  in  squads  to  stir  up  strife 
and  enmity.  They  even  insulted  and  plundered  their  victims. 
The  peaceable  people  of  Clay,  fearing  a  repetition  of  former 
difficulties,  held  a  meeting  in  which  they  decided  to  advise  the 


*For  the  dedicatory  prayer,  see  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  109. 
**See  Jensen's  "Historical  Record,"  pp.  64-5  and  74-80, 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  55 

Saints  to  seek  another  home.  This  they  did,  having  first  re- 
minded them  under  what  circumstances  they  were  received. 
There  were  objections  to  them,  but  these  were  mostly  of  a 
trivial  character.  Their  dialect,  manners  and  customs,  were 
not  like  those  of  the  Missourians,  and  it  was  even  charged  that 
they  were  non-slave  holders  or  abolitionists.  The  state  govern- 
ment was  unfavorable  to  them.  For  his  hostility  to  the  Saints 
in  their  former  trouble,  Boggs  had  been  made  Governor  of 
Missouri;  and  their  most  bitter  enemies — Lucas  and  Wilson — 
were  given  commissions  as  Major  and  Brigadier-General.  It 
appeared  now  that  the  great  majority  of  citizens  in  the 
state  had  joined  with  these  officers  in  the  determination  that 
the  "Mormons"  should  be  prevented  from  enjoying  any  politi- 
cal, civil  or  religious  rights,  and  they  unitedly  conspired  to  war 
against  them  as  members  of  the  commonwealth. 

Viewing  the  situation  aright,  under  these  circumstances, 
the  Saints  now  resolved,  for  the  sake  of  friendship,  to  remain 
in  a  covenant  of  peace  with  the  citizens  of  Clay  county,  and  to 
show  gratitude  to  those  who  had  befriended  them,  to  leave  the 
county,  notwithstanding  this  action  involved  an  enormous 
sacrifice  of  property. 

In  September,  1836,  they  accordingly  began  moving  to 
their  new  location  in  the  Shoal  Creek  region,  then  a  wilderness 
in  Ray  county,  northeast  of  Clay.  In  December  of  the  same 
year,  in  answer  to  their  petitions,  this  district  was  incorporated 
by  the  legislature,  and  thus  was  Caldwell  county  created. 
To  this  place,  the  Saints  removed  in  large  numbers,  nearly  all 
of  them  becoming  land-holders;  and  it  was  there  they  founded 
the  city  of  Far  West,  in  the  winter  of  1836-7,  which  afterward 
became  the  county  seat.  Most  of  the  officers  of  the  city  and 
county,  elected  according  to  the  law,  were  "Mormons."  In 
this  new  home,  the  exiles  found  a  peaceful  rest  for  a  season, 
their  numbers  rapidly  increasing  until  settlements  were  also 
made  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Daviess  and  elsewhere. 

Reverting  again  to  the  Church  in  the  East:  Following  the 
wonderful  spiritual  manifestations  enjoyed  in  the  temple, 
there  swept  over  Kirtland  a  wave  of  inflation,  mistaken  for 
temporal  prosperity,  which  turned  the  heads  of  her  inhabitants. 
A  spirit  of  speculation  permeated  the  whole  community, 
playing  havoc  with  the  faith  of  the  Saints  and  many  of  their 


56  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

leaders.  All  kinds  of  schemes  were  adopted  to  amass  wealth, 
and  the  spirit  of  real  estate  speculation,  so  prevalent  through- 
out the  nation,  took  deep  root  in  the  Church.  As  a  result, 
there  followed  in  quick  succession,  evil  surmisings,  fault- 
finding, disunion,  dissensions,  apostasy,  and  finally  financial 
ruin.  The  Kirtland  Safety  Society  Bank,  established  by 
Joseph  for  the  benefit  and  advantage  of  the  Saints,  failed 
through  the  speculation,  swindling  and  treachery  of  subor- 
dinate officers.  The  crash  became  general  and  many  of  the 
people  were  utterly  ruined  financially. 

Apostasy  followed.  The  disaffected  members  became 
bitterly  hostile  to  the  Prophet,  as  if  he  were  the  cause  of  the 
very  evils  which  he  struggled  most  to  avoid,  and  which  were 
brought  upon  the  people  because  they  would  not  heed  his 
counsels.  About  one-half  of  the  apostles,  one  of  the  first 
presidency,  and  many  leading  elders  disloyally  declared  him 
to  be  a  "fallen  prophet,"  and  they  themselves  apostatized. 
The  Church  seemed  threatened  with  utter  destruction. 

It  was  on  the  1st  of  June,  1837,  while  these  radical  dis- 
turbances were  in  progress,  that  the  Lord  revealed  to  Joseph 
that  something  must  be  done  for  the  salvation  of  the  Church. 
Up  to  this  time,  there  had  been  no  missionaries  sent  to  foreign 
lands.  Proselyting  had  been  confined  to  the  Eastern  states, 
to  Canada  and  a  narrow  district  in  the  west.  Now  it  was 
determined  to  open  a  mission  in  England.  Elder  Heber  C. 
Kimball  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  was  chosen  to  pioneer 
this  work,  his  assistant  and  companion  apostle  being  Elder 
Orson  Hyde.  Elder  Willard  Richards  was  called  later, 
and  together  they  sailed  from  New  York  on  the  1st  day  of 
July,  1837.  to  fill  their  mission.  They  were  instructed  to  preach 
only  the  first  principles  of  the  gospel,  which  they  did  with 
much  success.  In  less  than  a  year  they  had  organized  twenty- 
six  branches  of  the  Church,  with  a  membership  of  about  two 
thousand  souls.  Throngs  came  to  hear  them,  and  whole  vil- 
lages were  converted  at  a  sweep.  The  opening  of  this  mission 
was  one  of  the  most  important  events  in  the  history  of  the 
Church — a  grand  movement  destined,  in  the  years  soon  follow- 
ing, to  bring  about  75,000  souls  into  its  folds  from  England 
alone,  and  emigrate  them  to  America.  On  their  return,  the 
apostles  landed  in  New  York  on  the  12th  day  of  May,  1838. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  57 

There  they  found  a  large  branch  of  the  Church  which  had  been 
erected  through  the  efforts  of  Parley  P.  Pratt  and  his  brother 
Orson,  the  former  having  there  published  his  celebrated  work, 
the  "Voice  of  Warning,"  the  year  before. 

But  while  the  cause  was  thus  prospering  over  the  .waters, 
in  Kirtland  flourished  the  destroying  agencies  of  apostasy, 
persecution,  confusion  and  mobocracy. 

The  Church  in  Missouri  did  not  entirely  escape  the  dis- 
affection. The  local  leaders  lost  the  confidence  of  the  people, 
necessitating  a  hurried  visit  of  the  Prophet  to  Far  West,  where 
he  arrived  November  1, 1837.  Having  held  a  conference  and 
arranged  affairs  in  Missouri,  he  returned  to  Kirtland  about 
December  10.  It  was  during  his  absence  that  leading  elders 
in  the  latter  place  conspired  to  overthrow  him,  and  to  appoint 
David  Whitmer  in  his  stead.  Among  them  were  several  of 
the  apostles,  and  some  of  the  witnesses  of  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
Their  schemes  would  have  succeeded  but  for  the  fidelity  and 
loyalty  of  Brigham  Young,  who  defended  the  Prophet,  ex- 
posed the  evil  designs  of  his  enemies,  and  frustrated  their  plans. 
John  Taylor,  also,  later  an  apostle  and  the  third  President  of 
the  Church,  who  had  come  from  Canada  to  Kirtland  in  the 
fall  of  1837,  stood  loyal  to  the  Church  and  to  Joseph — as  loyal 
as  when,  seven  years  after,  he  stood  side  by  side  with  his  Proph- 
et leader,  amid  the  bullet  shower  of  Carthage  Jail,  or  as,  when 
fifty  years  later,  he  died  in  cruel  exile,  a  double  martyr  to  the 
truth 

On  the  same  grounds  stood  also  the  faithful  veteran, 
Wilford  Woodruff,  who  also  became  the  beloved  leader  of  the 
hosts  of  Israel. 

At  length,  on  December  22,  Brigham  Young,  who  persisted, 
publicly  and  privately,  in  declaring  Joseph  a  true  prophet  of 
God,  was  forced  to  flee  from  Kirtland,  in  consequence  of  the 
fury  of  the  mobs.  The  new  year  opened  with  all  the  bitterness 
of  the  spirit  of  apostate  mobocracy,  which  continued  until 
the  Prophet  was  compelled  to  seek  safety  in  flight.  He  and 
Elder  Rigdon  left  Kirtland  on  the  night  of  January  12,  1838, 
and  were  joined  the  next  day  by  their  families.  They  were 
followed  more  than  two  hundred  miles  by  their  armed  pur- 
suers, finally  arriving  in  Far  West  on  the  14th  of  March,  1838. 


58  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


III. 

FROM  THE  MISSOURI  EXODUS  TO  THE 
MARTYRDOM— 1838-1844. 

1.     Banished  from  Missouri — Founding  of  Nauvoo. 

The  Prophet's  flight  was  the  signal  for  a  general  migra- 
tion of  the  Saints  from  Ohio.  The  Kirtland  Camp,  composed 
of  over  five  hundred  souls,  soon  thereafter  made  its  way  west. 

The  Saints  in  Missouri  now  numbered  upwards  of  twelve 
thousand  souls,  most  of  whom  were  located  in  Caldwell,  al- 
though there  were  thriving  settlements  in  Daviess  and  Carroll 
counties.  Adam-ondi-Ahman,  *  where  the  Kirtland  Saints 
rested,  and  a  stake  of  Zion  was  afterward  organized,  was  the 
chief  settlement  in  Daviess,  and  Dewitt,  in  Carroll. 

There  were  some  divisions  among  the  Saints  when  Joseph 
arrived,  and  vigorous  measures  were  instituted  to  purge  the 
Church  of  its  disaffected  members.  At  a  Far  West  conference, 
a  number  of  prominent  men — among  them  Oliver  Cowdery, 
David  Whitmer  and  the  Johnsons— were  excommunicated. 
Following  this  action,  peace  and  prosperity  again  reigned. 
Several  instructive  revelations  were  received  about  this  time, 
among  which  is  one  concerning  the  building  of  a  temple  at 
Far  West,  others  about  the  duties  of  the  apostles  and  their 
mission  across  the  great  waters,  and  the  law  of  tithing.**  For 
a  few  months,  the  Prophet  spent  his  time  in  literary  labors, 
enjoying  peace  with  his  people,  instructing  them,  planning 
for  their  temporal  and  spiritual  welfare. 

About  this  time  Joseph  declared  that  the  Lord  had  made 
known  to  him  that  Adam  had  dwelt  in  America,  and  that 
"three  years  previous  to  the  death  of  Adam  he  called  Seth, 
Enos,  Cainan,  Mahalaleel,  Jared,  Enoch  and  Methuselah, 
who  were  all  high  priests,  with  the  residue  of  his  posterity,  who 
were  righteous,  into  the  Valley  of  Adam-ondi-Ahman,  and 
there  bestowed  upon  them  his  last  blessing.  .  .  .  predicted 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants  Section  116;  also  Daniel  7:9-14. 
**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  113,  119,  120. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  59 

whatsoever  should  befall  his  posterity  unto  the  latest  gen- 
eration."* 

The  lull  of  peace  was  only  temporary,  it  was  a  calm  be- 
fore the  storm.  On  the  nation's  birthday,  1838,  a  grand  cele- 
bration was  held  at  Far  West,  in  which  thousands  of  Saints 
participated.  On  that  day,  the  foundation  stones  of  a  temple 
were  laid — a  temple,  however,  destined  not  to  be  completed. 
Sidney  Rigdon,  the  orator  of  the  day,  portrayed  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  Saints,  showing  how  their  rights  had 'been  trampled 
upon;  and,  in  a  moment  of  enthusiasm,  exclaimed:  "We  take 
God  to  witness,  and  the  holy  angels  to  witness  this  day,  that 
we  warn  all  men  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  to  come  on  us  no 
more  forever.  The  man  or  the  set  of  men  who  attempt  it,  do 
it  at  the  expense  of  their  lives;  and  the  mob  that  comes  on  us 
to  disturb  us,  there  shall  be  between  us  and  them  a  war  of 
extermination."  His  remarks  were  doubtless  impolitic,  but 
the  provocation,  and  the  enthusiasm  of  the  day,  should  be 
considered  as  extenuating  conditions. 

The  lightning,  which  a  day  or  two  thereafter  shivered 
their  liberty  pole,  was  like  a  precursor  of  the  slumbering  storm 
of  human  hate,  which  was  about  to  burst  forth  in  pitiless  fury 
over  the  unfortunate  Saints.  It  was  an  augury  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  their  own  liberty. 

As  in  Jackson  county,  so  here,  the  people  feared  the  political 
rule  of  the  "Mormons."**  The  latter  claimed  their  political 
rights — the  right  to  vote  for  their  friends.  This  was  denied 
to  them,  and  the  result  was  a  conflict  which  ended  in  their 
wholesale  expulsion  from  the  state  of  Missouri,  in  midwinter, 
in  the  midst  of  outrage,  robbery,  massacre  and  suffering  in- 
describable. 

The  trouble  began  at  Gallatin,  Daviess  county,  on  the 
6th  of  August,  1838.  Twelve  "Mormons"  there  tried  to  vote, 
the  state  election  being  then  in  progress.  William  P.  Peniston, 
a  candidate  for  the  legislature,  harangued  a  crowd  against  them. 
A  tumult  ensued.  The  "Mormons"  cast  their  ballots,  but 

*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  107:53-56. 

**"Right  or  wrong,  law  or  no  law,  and  whether  in  accord  with  the  letter  or  spirit  of 
the  constitution  or  government  of  the  United  States  or  not,  the  people  of  Missouri  had  de- 
termined that  they  would  go  any  length  before  they  would  allow  the  Saints  to  obtain 
political  ascendency  in  that  quarter." — Bancroft's  "Utah,"  p.  117. 


60  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

several  of  them,  as  well  as  a  number  of  their  opponents,  were 
wounded. 

Reports  of  this  trouble  were  exaggerated,  and  became  a 
pretext  for  a  general  anti-' 'Mormon"  uprising  in  the  several 
counties.  Threats  were  openly  made  and  published,  to  drive 
the  "Mormons"  from  the  state.  The  conservative  action  of  a 
number  of  leading  citizens,  in  signing  a  covenant  of  peace  with 
the  leaders  of  the  Church,  had  no  effect  in  calming  the  dis- 
turbance. The  Missourians  were  in  for  war.  Several  hundred 
of  the  mob  gathered  in  Daviess  and  Caldwell  counties,  some 
painted  and  disguised  as  Indians.  The  Saints  were  plundered, 
fired  upon,  and  taken  prisoners  on  false  charges.  There  were 
housebreakings  and  other  depredations,  until  the  situation  be- 
came unbearable.  Driven  to  this  extremity,  the  Prophet  now 
no  longer  counseled  peace  and  submission,  but  bade  his  fol- 
lowers protect  themselves,  their  homes  and  little  ones.  The 
Saints  armed  to  defend  themselves,  but  were  driven  from 
Diahman,  afterward  from  Dewitt,  and  from  the  outlying  settle- 
ments in  Caldwell,  to  Far  West. 

Col.  Wight,  a  "Mormon"  commissioned  by  General  Parks 
of  the  state  militia,  organized  a  command,  and,  making  vig- 
orous war  upon  the  marauders,  succeeded  in  driving  the  enemy 
from  Daviess  county.  This,  of  course,  only  served  to  swell  the 
excitement. 

Then  came  the  Crooked  River  battle,  fought  on  the  25th 
day  of  October.  Captain  David  W.  Patten*  led  a  force  of  Far 
West  militia  which  attacked  a  band  of  marauders  under  Cap- 
tain Bogart.  The  "Mormons"  were  victorious.  Captain 
Patten  and  two  of  his  men,  however,  were  killed,  while  the 
enemy  lost  one  man.  The  excitement,  already  at  fever  heat, 
now  became  intense.  Governor  Boggs  who,  when  appealed 
to  on  a  former  occasion,  when  the  mob  were  victorious  in 
plundering  the  Saints,  had  remarked  that  the  quarrel  was 
between  the  "Mormons"  and  the  mob,  and  that  they  might 
"fight  it  out,"  now  that  the  "Mormons"  were  successfully 


*David  Wyman  Patten,  born  in  Vermont  about  the  year  1800,  ordained  one  of  the 
twelve  apostles,  Sunday,  February  15,  1835;  appointed  one  of  the  presidents  pro  tern,  of 
the  Church  in  Missouri,  on  Saturday,  February  10,  1838;  fatally  wounded  at  a  battle 
with  the  mob,  on  Crooked  River,  Ray  county,  Missouri,  on  Thursday,  October  25,  1838 ; 
and  buried  at  Far  West  on  the  Saturday  following. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  61 

defending  themselves,  changed  his  tactics,  and  saw  his  chance 
to  wreak  vengeance  upon  them.  On  October  27,  he  issued  an 
order  to  Major-General  Clark,  commanding  the  state  forces, 
to  proceed  in  all  haste  against  the  "Mormons."  They  "must 
be  treated  as  enemies,  and  must  be  exterminated  or  driven 
from  the  state  if  necessary,  for  the  public  good In- 
stead, therefore,  of  proceeding  as  at  first  directed,  to  reinstate 
the  citizens  of  Daviess  in  their  homes,  you  will  proceed  im- 
mediately to  operate  against  the  'Mormons.' '  "Thus  it  ap- 
pears that  the  Missouri  state  militia,"  says  Bancroft,  "called 
out  in  the  first  instance  to  assist  the  state  militia  in  quelling  a 
Missouri  mob,  finally  joins  the  mob  against  the  'Mormon' 
militia.  And  this,  notwithstanding  the  Saints  were  in  no  wise 
opposed  to  the  state,  to  law  and  to  order.  They  were  simply 
defending  themselves  by  permission  of  the  state." 

At  Richmond,  two  thousand  troops  under  Major-General 
Samuel  D.  Lucas  and  Brigadier-General  Moses  Wilson  were 
massed,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  October  departed  for  Far 
West.  Elsewhere  their  commander,  General  Clark,  was  mus- 
tering an  army  for  the  same  purpose. 

On  October  30,  the  frightful  massacre  of  "Mormons" 
at  Haun's  Mill  was  perpetrated.  A  score  of  unoffending  people, 
men,  women  and  children,  lately  arrived  emigrants  from  the 
east,  were  cruelly  killed  and  their  bodies  thrown  into  a  well. 
This  was  done  by  a  company  of  two  hundred  and  forty  men 
commanded  by  one  Nehemiah  Comstock. 

On  the  same  day,  Far  West  was  beleaguered  by  the  troops. 
Not  having  heard  of  the  Governor's  exterminating  order, 
owing  to  the  stoppage  of  their  mails,  the  residents  of  the  doomed 
city  prepared  to  defend  themselves,  thinking  the  besiegers 
were  a  military  mob. 

It  was  at  this  critical  juncture  that  Col.  George  M.  Hinkle, 
commander  of  the  "Mormon"  forces,  betrayed  the  Saints  into 
the  hands  of  their  enemies  by  making  an  agreement  with  the 
besieging  generals  in  effect  as  follows: 

The  "Mormons"  were  to  be  disarmed,  and  their  leaders 
were  to  be  delivered  up  for  trial  and  punishment.  A  deed  of 
trust  was  to  be  executed  pledging  all  "Mormon"  property  for 
the  payment  of  the  entire  cost  of  the  war.  The  "Mormons" 


62  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

as  a  body,  except  the  prisoners,  were  forthwith  to  leave 
state. 

These  arrangements,  made  without  the  knowledge  or 
consent  of  Hinkle's  associates,  or  the  leaders  of  the  Church, 
were  promptly,  though  cruelly,  on  the  part  of  the  militia,  car- 
ried into  effect.  Pretending  to  have  arranged  a  conference 
between  the  "Mormon"  leaders  and  the  generals,  Col.  Hinkle, 
on  the  31st  of  October,  without  informing  the  former  of  his 
compact,  delivered  to  General  Lucas  the  following  persons 
who  were  then  treated  as  prisoners  of  war:  Joseph  Smith, 
Sidney  Rigdon,  Parley  P.  Pratt,  Lyman  Wight,  George  W. 
Robinson,  Hyrum  Smith  and  Amasa  M.  Lyman.  On  November 
1,  a  courtmartial  was  held,  when  the  prisoners  were  ordered 
shot  at  8  o'clock  the  next  morning,  but  General  Doniphan 
protested  in  the  name  of  humanity,  and  the  sentence  was  not 
executed.  Instead,  General  Lucas  took  them  on  a  parade 
through  the  neighboring  counties. 

At  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  the  Saints  were  compelled 
to  sign  away  their  property.  Not  alone  this,  but  the  city  was 
given  into  the  hands  of  the  allied  soldiers  and  marauders  who 
plundered  property,  and  committed  horrid,  nameless  crimes 
upon  the  defenseless  citizens. 

General  Clark  appeared  upon  the  scene  on  the  4th  of 
November,  approving  all  that  had  been  done.  Calling  a  mass 
meeting,  he  read  to  the  Saints  his  famous  address  in  which  he 
referred  to  the  Governor's  exterminating  order,  and  his  de- 
termination to  see  that  it  was  executed,  declared  that  the  Saints 
must  leave,  and  that  they  need  never  expect  to  see  the  faces  of 
their  leaders  again,  "for  their  doom  is  sealed."*  He  then  or- 
dered fifty  additional  men  to  be  taken  prisoners,  all  of  whom 
were  shortly  thereafter  liberated.  Joseph  Smith  and  his  brother 
Hyrum,  Sidney  Rigdon,  Lyman  Wight,  Parley  P.  Pratt,  and 
a  few  others,  were  committed  to  jail,  as  a  result  of  the  trial  in 
Richmond,  the  charges  against  them  being  murder,  arson, 
treason,  in  addition  to  nearly  all  other  crimes  on  the  calendar.** 


*For  a  copy  of  the  document,  see  "Autobiography  of  Parley  P.Pratt,"  p.  225;  also 
Whitney's  "History  of  Utah,"  Vol.  I,  p.  162. 

**One  evidence  of  their  treason,  as  cited  in  open  court,  was  their  avowed  belief  in  the 
prophecy  of  Daniel — Chapters  2  and  7 — relative  to  the  setting  up  of  the  Latter-day  king- 
dom of  God.  .  .  .  Their  murders  were  the  battles  and  skirmishes  they  had  had  with  the 
mob.  The  depredations  and  deeds  of  blood  committed  by  the  Missourians  against  the 
'Mormons'  apparently  cut  no  figure  in  the  case." — Whitney's  "History  of  Utah,"  Vol.  I, 
p.  163. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  63 

It  was  impossible  for  their  friends  to  do  anything  to  assist 
them,  owing  to  the  existing  prejudice.  Their  attorney,  Gen- 
era! Doniphan,  had  said:  "Offer  no  defense;  for  if  a  cohort  of 
angels  should  declare  your  innocence  it  would  be  all  the  same. 
The  judge  is  determined  to  throw  you  into  prison." 

While  the  trial  lasted,  from  the  llth  to  the  28th  of  Novem- 
ber, in  prison  they  were  compelled  to  listen  for  days  and  nights 
to  the  vile  stories  of  the  guards,  who  delighted  to  taunt  them 
with  repetitions  of  the  murders  and  rapes  committed  in  Far 
West.  One  night  the  Prophet  arose,  after  hearing  all  he  could 
endure  of  these  filthy  tales;  in  his  chains  he  stood  erect  in 
terrible  majesty,  and  in  a  voice  of  thunder  rebuked  the  quailing 
guards  who,  crouching  at  his  feet  with  weapons  on  the  ground, 
begged  his  pardon,  and  were  silent.* 

Elder  Rigdon  was  at  length  released  on  bail,  and  forced 
to  flee  for  his  life,  while  Joseph,  Hyrum,  Lyman  Wight,  Alex- 
ander McRae  and  Caleb  Baldwin  were  removed  to  Liberty 
Jail,  Clay  county  (the  others  remaining  at  Richmond),  where 
they  spent  the  winter  of  1838-9.  It  was  in  this  jail  that  Joseph 
wrote  the  remarkable  prayer,  prophecies,  and  instructions 
recorded  in  Sections  121,  122,  and  123  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants. 

The  Saints  were  left  in  the  hands  of  the  mob,  who  con- 
tinued their  depredations  with  increased  bitterness,  destroy- 
ing property,  burning  houses,  driving  off  stock,  and  insulting 
defenseless  women. 

It  did  not  seem  possible  that  a  community  convicted  of 
no  crime  should  be  permitted  to  suffer  as  the  Saints  had  done 
under  the  Boggs'  order,  and  under  the  enforced  treaty  depriving 
them  of  their  property,  and  yet  find  no  redress.  So  thinking, 
those  among  the  "Mormon"  leaders  who  had  regained  their 
liberty  addressed  a  memorial  to  the  legislature  of  Missouri 
setting  forth  the  wrongs  inflicted  upon  the  Saints,  praying 
for  a  redress  of  grievances,  and  that  the  Governor's  unlawful 
and  tyrannical  order  be  rescinded.  The  only  answer  was  a  show 
of  help  in  a  ridiculously  small  appropriation  for  their  aid, 
consumed  mostly  among  the  distributing  officers. 

The  depredations   continuing,    it    became  painfully  ap- 

*See  "Autobiography  of  Parley  P,  Pratt,"  p.  229, 


64  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

parent,  in  January,  1839,  that  there  was  no  help  for  the  Saints. 
They  were  told  plainly,  both  publicly  and  privately,  that  tfcey 
must  leave  the  state  or  be  killed.  Stripped  of  the  accumula- 
tions of  years  of  toil,  all  that  they  owned  gone,  care-worn, 
parts  of  families  in  prison,  many  without  clothing  or  the  neces- 
sities of  life,  the  only  prospect  before  them  was  a  mid-winter 
exodus,  they  knew  not  where. 

It  was  with  the  Church  in  this  condition,  the  Prophet  in 
prison,  that  Brigham  Young,  President  of  the  Twelve,  taking 
his  position  as  leader,  planned  and  carried  into  effect  the  exodus 
of  the  Saints  to  Illinois.  He  and  his  brethren  entered  into 
covenant  to  "stand  by  and  assist  each  other  to  the  utmost  of 
our  abilities  in  removing  from  this  state,  and  that  we  will  never 
desert  the  poor,  who  are  worthy,  till  they  shall  be  out  of  th,e 
reach  of  the  exterminating  order  of  General  Clark,  acting  for 
and  in  the  name  of  the  state."  It  was  faithfully  kept  by  them, 
and  by  the  hundreds  of  others  who  signed  it. 

"That  winter  from  ten  to  twelve  thousand  Latter-day 
Saints,"  says  Whitney,  "men,  women  and  children,  still 
hounded  and  pursued  by  their  merciless  oppressors,  fled  from 
Missouri,  leaving  in  places  their  bloody  footprints  in  the  snow 
of  their  frozen  pathway.  Crossing  the  icy  Mississippi  they 
cast  themselves,  homeless,  plundered  and  penniless,  upon  the 
hospitable  shores  of  Illinois.  There  their  pitiable  condition 
and  the  tragic  story  of  their  wrongs  awoke  widespread  sym- 
pathy and  compassion,  with  corresponding  sentiments  of 
indignation  and  abhorrence  toward  their  persecutors." 

Cheering  them  from  his  dungeon  cell,  the  Prophet  wrote: 
"Zion  shall  yet  live  though  she  seemeth  to  be  dead." 

Escaping  from  Missouri  by  the  tacit  permission  of  their 
drunken  guards,  Joseph  and  Hyrum  joined  their  families  at 
Quincy,  Illinois,  on  the  22nd  day  of  April,  1839.  As  in  other 
parts  of  the  state,  the  citizens  of  Quincy  had  extended  sym- 
pathy and  welcome  to  the  unfortunate  Saints,  who  were  made 
to  feel  that  they  were  in  a  place  of  refuge,  temporary  though 
it  might  be.  Thousands  of  dollars  in  clothing  and  provisions, 
were  donated  to  them  by  the  citizens  of  Illinois;  and  while 
they  were  doubtless  classed  as  enemies,  every  popular  senti- 
ment, both  in  that  state  and  in  Iowa,  was  in  favor  of  granting 
them  peace  and  protection.  The  governors  of  both  states 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  65 

were  their  friends.  Two  days  after  his  arrival,  it  was  decided 
by  a  council  that  Joseph,  Vinson  Knight  and  Alonzo  Ripley 
should  proceed  to  select  a  location  for  the  Church.  Already 
the  "Mormon"  leaders,  by  the  written  counsel  of  the  Prophet, 
had  made  arrangements  for  land  in  the  two  states.  Tracts 
had  been  purchased  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  forty  miles  above  Quincy; 
also  in  Nashville,  six  miles  above  Keokuk,  and  in  Montrose, 
Iowa,  four  miles  above  the  latter  place.  Opposite  Montrose, 
just  across  the  river,  on  the  Illinois  side,  stood  Commerce, 
where  Daniel  H.  Wells  resided,  of  whom  the  Saints  received 
land  on  very  cheap  terms.  On  the  1st  day  of  May,  Joseph 
made  additional  purchases  in  Commerce,  and  decided  to  locate 
the  headquarters  of  the  Church  there.  Arriving  with  his 
family  on  the  10th  of  May,  he  took  up  his  abode  in  a  small 
log  cabin  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  The  village  was  an  in- 
significant place  with  only  six  houses.  Marshy,  and  covered 
with  trees  and  brush,  it  had  an  unhealthy  climate,  and  was  a 
fit  abiding  place  of  malarial  diseases.  On  this  account  the 
New  York  company  who  had  started  the  place  were  glad  to 
sell  when  the  "Mormon"  agents  came.  But  the  city's  location 
was  beautiful,  overlooking,  as  it  did,  the  almost  encircling 
Mississippi.  Because  of  the  loveliness  of  its  position  the  city 
was  rechristened,  and  the  following  year  named  Nauvoo, 
signifying  beauty  and  rest. 

It  was  a  marvelous  undertaking  to  gather  the  scattered, 
destitute  and  afflicted  people,  against  whom  Missouri  had 
committed  such  a  monstrous  crime,  and  establish  them  in 
one  spot;  especially  does  it  so  appear  when  it  is  remembered 
that  the  region  around  that  spot  was  so  sickly  that  few  others 
could  endure  its  climate.  But  as  in  following  years  they  were 
assured  that  the  waste  desert  should  blossom  at  their  bidding, 
so  now  the  Saints  were  given  to  understand  that  the  blessing 
of  God  would  make  their  present  location  a  fit  habitation  for 
them.  On  this  assurance,  in  their  poverty  and  affliction,  they 
trustingly  proceeded  to  build  their  homes  anew.  But  at  first, 
they  were  balked  by  the  deadly  fevers.  Scarcely  a  family  was 
exempt  from  sickness.  The  Prophet  himself  was  prostrated, 
but  the  Spirit  of  God  rested  powerfully  upon  him,  and  on  the 
22nd  day  of  July  he  arose  and  went  about  administering  to 
the  sick,  commanding  them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 


66  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

to  arise  and  be  made  whole.  Many  wonderful  instances  of 
healing  are  recorded  as  a  result  of  the  faith  of  that  day  of 
miracles.  * 

On  account  of  the  ravages  of  disease,  and  the  labors  con- 
nected with  the  movement  of  the  Saints,  the  Twelve  had  not 
yet  departed  on  their  missions  "across  the  great  waters,"** 
to  which  they  had  been  called  by  revelation  the  year  previous, 
in  Missouri.  But  they  had  taken  leave  of  their  brethren  and 
the  city,  on  the  Temple  grounds  at  Far  West,  on  April  26,  1839, 
and  had  recommenced  laying  the  foundation  of  the  Temple,  as 
it  had  been  declared  by  the  Prophet  the  year  previous***  that 
they  should.  Having  learned  of  this  prophecy  Captain  Bogart 
determined  it  should  not  be  fulfilled,  which  doubtless  accounts 
for  his  cruelty  in  driving  out  of  the  state  the  few  remaining 
Saints  whom  he  expelled  about  the  middle  of  April.  Evidently 
he  desired  to  make  it  impossible  for  them  to  fulfill  the  reve- 
lation, but  at  1  o'clock  a.  m.,  on  the  day  named  in  the  revela- 
tion, seven  of  the  Twelve  met,  held  a  conference,  laid  a  cor- 
ner stone  of  the  Temple,  ordained  Wilf ord  Woodruff  and  George 
A.'  Smith  to  the  apostleship,  severed  thirty-one  persons  from 
the  Church,  bade  adieu  to  the  city  and  the  remaining  Saints, 
and  were  on  their  way  to  Illinois  before  their  enemies  had 
arisen  to  renew  their  oath  that  the  words  of  the  Prophet  should 
go  .unfulfilled. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1839,  Commerce  arose  like 
a  fairy  from  the  marshes.  It  became  a  healthful  and  charming 
abiding  place.  The  Saints  prospered  marvelously  in  temporal 
affairs,  while  their  spiritual  interests  were  nourished  by  the 
wise  counsels  of  the  Prophet  and  his  associates.  Through  their 
teachings  many  sincere  souls  believed  and  joined  the  Church. 

In  August  and  September  of  this  year,  seven  of  the  Twelve 
apostles  left  for  England  to  fill  their  missions,  notwithstanding 
a  number  of  them  and  their  families  were  still  suffering  from 
the  effects  of  sickness.  While  abroad,  they  were  greatly  pros- 
pered, and  the  great  missionary  work,  begun  by  Heber  C. 
Kimball  and  his  associates,  received  fresh  impetus  by  their 

*See  Cannon's  "Life  of  Joseph  Smith,"  p.  301. 
**Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  118:4;  114:1. 
***Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  115:8-18;  118:5. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  67 

arrival  in  Liverpool  on  the  6th  of  April,  1840.  The  Millennial 
Star  was  established,  five  thousand  copies  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon were  printed,  besides  three  thousand  hymn  books  and 
fifty  thousand  tracts.  The  first  emigrants,  numbering  over 
one  thousand  souls,  were  forwarded  to  the  Zion  of  the  new 
world,  thus  adding  a  new  significance  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
gathering.  A  permanent  shipping  agency  was  established, 
while  over  three  thousand  souls  were  added  to  the  believers. 
President  Brigham  Young,  who  had  supervised  the  work, 
returned  to  Nauvoo  with  some  of  his  brethren,  on  the  first 
day  of  July,  1841. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Prophet,  soon  after  planting  his 
people  in  their  new  resting  place,  had  taken  steps  to  lay  be- 
fore the  general  Government  the  grievances  of  the  driven  Saints. 
On  the  29th  of  October,  1839,  he  left  for  Washington  on  this 
business,  arriving  there,  with  his  companion,  Judge  Elias 
Higbee,  on  the  28th  of  November.  Presenting  themselves  at 
the  White  House  the  following  day,  they  laid  before  Presi- 
dent Van  Buren  the  claims  of  the  Saints  against  the  state  of 
Missouri.  He  was  at  first  averse  to  having  anything  to  do  with 
them,  remarking,  "What  can  I  do?  I  can  do  nothing  for  you. 
If  I  do  anything,  I  shall  come  in  contact  with  the  whole  state 
of  Missouri."  But  they  insisted  on  a  hearing,  and  the  Presi- 
dent afterward  modified  his  words,  expressing  sympathy  for 
the  afflicted  people,  also  a  desire  to  hear  an  exposition  of  the 
Prophet's  religious  views.  Joseph  explained  the  Gospel  to 
him,  and  bore  a  faithful  testimony  to  the  work  of  God.  But 
at  a  subsequent  visit,  the  President  treated  him  with  insolence, 
and  after  listening  impatiently  to  his  story  made  that  remark- 
able, now  notorious,  reply:  "Your  cause  is  just,  but  I  can  do 
nothing  for  you;  and  if  I  take  up  for  you,  I  shall  lose  the  vote 
of  Missouri."  Little  wonder  that  the  Prophet  concluded  that 
the  President  was  "an  office  seeker,  that  self-aggrandizement 
was  his  ruling  passion,  and  that  justice  and  righteousness  were 
not  part  of  his  composition." 

Joseph  remained  in  the  East  during  the  winter,  making 
the  acquaintance  of  many  of  the  leading  political  lights  in 
the  nation.  To  the  tale  of  the  persecutions  of  the  Saints, 
Senator  John  C.  Calhoun  remarked:  "It  involves  a  nice  ques- 
tion— the  question  of  states' rights;  it  will  not  do  to  agitate 


68  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

it."  A  rather  strange  answer,  when  subsequent  events  are 
considered.  Henry  Clay  remarked  to  the  Prophet's  story: 
"You  had  better  go  to  Oregon,"  a  statement  which  then  meant 
out  of  the  permanent  reach  of  civilization,  exiles  from  their 
native  country.  The  members  of  Congress  from  Illinois, 
doubtless  out  of  political  policy  (the  "Mormons"  would  soon 
hold  the  balance  of  power  in  Illinois),  agreed  to  present  a 
memorial,  a  petition  and  documents  to  the  Senate,  setting 
forth  the  sufferings  and  claims  of  the  Saints.  They  did  so, 
but  there  the  matter  rested.  Nothing  was  ever  done,  either 
by  the  Executive  or  the  Legislative  department  of  the  national 
Government  to  call  the  state  of  Missouri  to  account  for  the 
cruel  wrongs  it  had  inflicted  upon  the  Latter-day  Saints.* 

Disgusted  at  length  with  the  politicians  whose  ruling 
principles,  he  discovered,  were  "popular  clamor  and  personal 
aggrandizement,"  instead  of  the  peace  and  welfare  of  the  whole 
people,  the  Prophet  left  Washington  for  home,  arriving  in 
Nauvoo,  March  4,  1840.  While  absent,  he  had  taken  ad- 
vantage of  many  opportunities  to  preach  the  gospel,  having 
addressed  large  audiences  in  Washington,  in  Chester  county, 
Pennsylvania  (where  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Edward 
Hunter,  afterward  presiding  bishop  of  the  Church),  and  in 
the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

In  the  meantime,  the  cause  was  prospering  in  Nauvoo  and 
the  region  round  about,  under  the  presidency  of  Hyrum  Smith. 
There  was  now  a  population  of  about  three  thousand  in  the 
city,  with  three  ecclesiastical  wards,  which  soon  grew  to  twenty 
thousand,  with  ten  wards,  and  three  additional  in  the  farming 
districts  on  the  outside. 

At  this  time  the  Saints  again  began  to  take  an  active  in- 
terest in  politics — a  right  which  had  brought  upon  them  ser- 
ious troubles  in  the  past,  and  which  was  destined  to  overwhelm 
them  in  the  near  future  with  untold  sorrow;  though  for  the 
present,  it  was  an  important  element  in  the  peace  and  pros- 
perity which  smiled  upon  them.  Holding  the  balance  of  power 
in  Illinois,  their  favor  was  widely  sought  by  politicians.  They 
were  the  means  of  electing  the  celebrated  Stephen  A.  Douglas 


*The  claims  of  491  persons  against  Missouri,  amounting  to  about  one  and  one-half 
million  dollars,  were  presented  by  the  Prophet  with  the  memorial,  all  of  which  were  referred 
to  the  Committee  on  Judiciary,  which  finally  reported  adversely  upon  them. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  69 

to  the  Senate.  They  voted  for  William  Henry  Harrison,  the 
successful  Whig  candidate  for  the  Presidency,  against  Martin 
Van  Buren,  the  Democrat,  evidently  not  so  much  because  they 
or  their  Prophet  were  Whigs,  as  that  Van  Buren  was  their 
enemy. 

With  politics,  immediately  their  arose  the  dark  specter  of 
persecution.  On  the  15th  of  September,  1840,  Governor 
Lilburn  W.  Boggs  of  Missouri  made  a  demand  on  Governor 
Carlin  of  Illinois  for  the  Prophet  and  some  of  the  leading  elders, 
on  the  grounds  that  they  were  fugitives  from  justice.  Consider- 
able annoyance  was  thus  caused,  especially  to  Joseph,  whose 
aged  father  had  died  the  day  previous,  but  the  Missourians 
received  but  little  sympathy,  and  the  requisition  papers  were 
returned  unserved.  The  unpleasant  incident,  however,  like 
a  cloud  on  the  clear  horizon  of  Joseph  and  his  people,  was  the 
forerunner  of  "a  storm  which,  though  not  bursting  forth  in- 
stanter,  shall  know  no  lull  when  once  its  fury  breaks,  till  the 
blood  of  that  Prophet  has  been  shed,  and  another  and  a  crown- 
ing exodus  of  that  people — from  the  confines  of  civilization  to 
the  wilds  of  the  savage  west — shall  have  startled  by  its  strange- 
ness and  awakened  by  its  unparalleled  achievement,  a  world's 
wonder."* 

In  the  winter  of  1840-1,  the  legislature  granted  a  most 
liberal  charter  to  Nauvoo,  a  charter  intended,  according  to 
Joseph,  "for  the  salvation  of  the  Church,  on  principles  so 
broad,  that  every  honest  man  might  dwell  secure  under  its 
protective  influence  without  distinction  of  sect  or  party." 
It  went  into  effect  February  1,  1841,  on  which  day  the  first 
election  was  held.  A  day  or  two  thereafter,  the  University  and 
the  Nauvoo  Legion  were  organized,  as  provided  in  the  charter. 
Joseph  was  afterward  chosen  Lieutenant-General  of  the  mili- 
tary organization. 

At  a  conference  on  the  6th  day  of  April,  1841,  the  corner 
stones  of  the  Nauvoo  temple  were  laid,  and  to  aid  in  the  erection 
of  this  edifice  and  other  public  buildings,  the  Prophet  called  upon 
the  people  in  the  scattered  stakes,  in  the  region  round  about,  to 
gather  to  Nauvoo.  In  conformity  with  this  desire,  the  Saints 
flocked  into  the  city  from  all  directions  to  build  up,  with  their 

*Whitney's  "History  of  Utah,"  Vol.  I,  p.  178y 


70  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

concentrated   energy    and   enterprise,    "the    corner   stone   of 
Zion." 

Success  attended  them  at  home  and  abroad,  and  with  the 
return  of  Brigham  Young  and  the  apostles  from  England,  the 
prosperity  of  the  growing  city  was  greatly  accelerated.  The 
fame  of  Joseph  Smith  had  spread  over  two  continents.  In 
1842,  he  and  his  people  were  at  the  height  of  prosperity.  The 
great  newspapers  sent  representatives  to  write  about  the  modern 
"military  Prophet "  and  his  followers,  whose  surroundings  had 
never  before  been  so  propitious  as  at  this  particular  time.  In 
answer  to  appeals  from  publishers,  Joseph  wrote  a  short  account 
of  the  founding  of  the  Church,  its  progress  and  persecutions, 
in  which  is  contained  the  Articles  of  Faith. 

ARTICLES  OF  FAITH 
Of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 


1.  We  believe  in  God,  the  Eternal  Father,  and  in  His  Son,  Jesus 
Christ,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

2.  We  believe  that  men  will  be  punished  for  their  own  sins,  and 
not  for  Adam's  transgression. 

3.  We  believe  that  through  the  atonement  of  Christ,  all  mankind 
may  be  saved,  by  obedience  to  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  Gospel. 

4.  We  believe  that  the  first  principles  and  ordinances  of  the  Gos- 
pel are: —  (1)  Faith  in  the  Lord    Jesus   Christ;    (2)    Repentance;    (3) 
Baptism  by  immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins;     (4)    Laying    on    of 
Hands  for  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

5.  We  believe  that  a  man  must  be  called  of  God,  by  prophecy, 
and  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  by  those  who  are  in  authority,  to  preach 
the  Gospel  and  administer  in  the  ordinances  thereof. 

6.  We  believe  in  the  same  organization  that  existed  in  the  Primi- 
tive  Church,  viz.:   apostles,   prophets,   pastors,   teachers,  evangelists, 
etc. 

7.  We  believe  in  the  gift  of  tongues,  prophecy,  revelation,  visions, 
healing,  interpretation  of  tongues,  etc. 

8.  We  believe  the  Bible  to  be  the  word  of  God,  as  far  as  it  is  trans- 
lated correctly;  we  also  believe  the  Book  of  Mormon  to  be  the  word  of 
God. 

9.  We  believe  all  that  God  has  revealed,  all  that  He  does  now 
reveal,  and  we  believe  that  He  will  yet  reveal  many  great  and  important 
things  pertaining  to  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

10.  We  believe  in  the  literal  gathering  of  Israel  and  in  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Ten  Tribes;  that  Zion  will  be  built  upon  this  (the  American) 
continent;  that  Christ  will  reign  personally  upon  the  earth;  and,that  the 
earth  will  be  renewed  and  receive  its  paradisiacal  glory. 

11.  We  claim  the  privilege  of  worshiping  Almighty  God  according 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  71 

to  the  dictates  of  our  own  conscience,  and  allow  all  men  the  same  privi- 
lege, let  them  worship  how,  where,  or  what  they  may. 

12.  We  believe  in  being  subject  to  kings,  presidents,  rulers,  and 
magistrates,  in  obeying,  honoring,  and  sustaining  the  law. 

13.  We  believe  in  being  honest,  true,  chaste,  benevolent,  virtuous, 
and  in  doing  good  to  all  men;  indeed,  we  may  say  that  we  follow  the 
admonition  of  Paul,  We  believe  all  things,  we  hope  all  things,  we  have 
endured  many  things,  and  hope  to  be  able  to  endure  all  things.    If  there 
is  anything  virtuous,  lovely,  or  of  good  report  or  praiseworthy,  we  seek 
after  these  things.— JOSEPH  SMITH. 

Other  writings,  explaining  the  belief  and  the  history  of 
the  Latter-day  Saints,  were  scattered  broadcast  over  the  whole 
world.  Times  and  Seasons,  the  Church  organ,  was  edited  by 
the  Prophet  himself,  through  which  source  he  promulgated 
many  precious  truths  and  instructions.  On  the  17th  of  March, 
the  Relief  Society  of  the  ladies  was  organized.  Hundreds  were 
baptized.  Beautiful  homes  surrounded  by  lovely  gardens 
sprang  into  existence ;  industries  flourished  with  the  increase  of 
population ;  the  thrift,  energy  and  union  of  the  people  promised 
to  make  the  city  the  largest  in  the  state.  Nauvoo  the  Beautiful 
soon  numbered  twenty  thousand  souls. 

Zion  was  indeed  living;  but,  standing  upon  the  gilded 
hilltops  of  her  fame  and  prosperity,  the  Prophet  beheld  pre- 
monitory shadows  of  the  dark  valley  of  affliction  through  which 
her  people  were  about  to  pass,  and  in  which  he  was  to  sacrifice 
his  life,  a  martyr  to  her  wondrous  cause. 

2.     Lowering  Clouds. 

The  premonition  of  his  own  fate  first  found  utterance  in 
a  funeral  sermon  which  the  Prophet  delivered  over  the  re- 
mains of  a  son  of  William  Marks,  President  of  the  Nauvoo  stake, 
on  the  9th  day  of  April,  1842,  in  which  he  enjoined  his  hearers 
to  remember  that  he  was  subject  to  death,  and  that  he  had  no 
longer  a  lease  on  his  life.*  Four  months  later,  on  the  6th  day 
of  August,  in  a  conversation  with  some  of  his  brethren  in  Mont- 
rose,  Iowa,  he  foreshadowed  the  migration  of  his  people  to  the 


*Said  he:  "Some  have  supposed  that  'Brother  Joseph'  could  not  die;  but 
this  is  a  mistake:  it  is  true  that  there  have  been  times  when  I  have  had  the  promise  of 
my  life  to  accomplish  such  and  such  things;  but,  having  now  accomplished  those  things,  I 
have  not  at  present  any  lease  of  my  life,  I  am  as  liable  to  die  as  other  men. — "History  of 
the  Church,"  Vol.  IV,  p.  587. 


72  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

West,  and  the  tribulations  through  which  they  were  to  pass,  in 
a  remarkable  prophecy  which  was  recorded  at  the  time.* 

In  May,  1842,  the  treachery  of  Dr.  J.  C.  Bennett 
began  to  come  to  light.  This  man  Bennett  had  been  elected 
Mayor  of  Nauvoo,  chosen  Chancellor  of  its  University,  and 
Major-General  of  its  Legion.  He  was  a  man  of  brains  and 
ability,  but  had  little  character  and  conscience.  He  had,  how- 
ever, rendered  valuable  service  to  the  "Mormon"  cause  in 
obtaining  the  charter  of  Nauvoo;  and,  as  his  rascality  and  lack 
of  soul  were  not  at  first  apparent,  he  was  hastily  loaded  with 
the  confidence  and  honor  which  he  afterward  so  shamefully 
abused.  At  a  sham  battle  of  the  Legion,  he  planned  to  have 
the  Prophet  killed.  Failing  in  this,  he  began  repeating  un- 
warranted falsehoods  against  the  Prophet  and  the  people. 
Among  other  things,  he  taught  secretly  to  men  and  women 
that  Joseph  countenanced  sin  between  the  sexes.  This  was 
doubtless  done  to  shield  his  own  iniquity,  for  he  was  shortly 
after  excommunicated  for  adultery.  Then  he  wrote  a  book 
full  of  wicked  falsehoods  against  Joseph  and  the  Saints,  which 
greatly  increased  the  now  rising  prejudice  against  them.  In 
August,  the  apostles  and  a  large  number  of  elders  were  sent 
out  to  refute  these  slanders  and  vile  imputations. 

In  the  meantime,  the  old  Missouri  feud  was  kept  alive. 
In  May,  an  attempt  was  made  to  assassinate  ex-Governor 
Boggs,  in  Independence,  the  deed  being,  of  course,  falsely, 
laid  to  the  "Mormons."  Complaint  was  made  accusing  Joseph 
of  being  an  accessory  to  the  attempted  murder  before  the 
crime.  Application  was  made  by  the  Governor  of  Missouri 
demanding  his  person  from  the  authorities  in  Illinois.  He  and 
O.  P.  Rockwell  were  accordingly  arrested  at  Nauvoo,  August 
8,  but  were  discharged  after  a  hearing  before  the  municipal 
court.  But  other  attempts  were  made  to  get  him  into  the 
clutches  of  his  enemies;  and,  for  this  reason,  he  deemed  it 
best  to  go  into  hiding.  While  hidden,  he  wrote  important 
letters  to  the  Saints  concerning  the  continuation  of  work  on 


*Says  the  record:  "I  prophesied  that  the  Saints  would  continue  to  suffer  much  afflic- 
tion, and  would  be  driven  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  many  would  apostatize,  others  would 
be  put  to  death  by  our  persecutors,  or  lose  their  lives  in  consequence  of  exposure  or  dis- 
ease; and  some  of  you  will  live  to  go  and  assist  in  making  settlements  and  build  cities,  and 
see  the  Saints  become  a  mighty  people  in  the  midst  of  the  Rocky  Mountains." — "History 
of  the  Church,"  Vol.  V,  p.  85. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  73 

the  temple,  and  on  the  doctrine  of  baptism  for  the  dead.* 
Every  attempt  was  made  to  capture  him,  but  in  vain.  In 
December,  1842,  Thomas  Ford,  a  Democrat,  became  Governor 
of  Illinois,  and  to  him  Joseph  applied  to  withdraw  the  writs  and 
the  proclamation  of  reward  which  Governor  Carlin  had  issued 
for  his  capture.  Ford  induced  him  to  submit  to  a  judicial 
investigation,  which  was  accordingly  done,  and  resulted  in 
Joseph  once  more  becoming  a  free  man. 

For  a  short  time,  he  enjoyed  peace.  On  February  6, 
1843,  he  was  chosen  Mayor  of  Nauvoo.  On  the  12th  of  April 
following,  Parley  P.  Pratt,  Lorenzo  Snow  and  Levi  Richards 
arrived  in  the  city  with  two  large  companies  of  emigrants 
from  England,  among  whom  were  the  Cannon  family. 

In  June  of  this  year,  there  was  another  attempt  to  drag 
the  Prophet  to  Missouri,  this  time  on  the  old  charge  of  treason. 
Dr.  Bennett  was  among  the  principal  instigators  of  this  out- 
rage. The  Prophet  was  arrested,  or  rather  kidnapped,  and 
brutally  treated,  but  upon  a  final  hearing  was  again  released. 

The  politicians  were  stirring  up  strife  against  the  Saints, 
in  the  meantime.  Ford,  in  his  inaugural  address  to  the  legis- 
lature, had  recommended  a  modification  and  restriction  of  the 
Nauvoo  charter,  to  pacify  the  general  clamor.  The  step  Joseph 
had  taken  in  calling  the  Saints  from  other  parts  to 
Nauvoo,  previously  referred  to,  had  been  looked  upon 
as  a  deep  scheme  on  his  part  to  gain  political  ascen- 
dency, and  certain  politicians  professed  to  view  with 
alarm  the  increase  of  "Mormon"  power  which  would  be 
brought  about  by  means  of  this  concentration.  The  result  had 
been  the  organization  of  the  anti-"Mormon"  party,  which  was 
composed  of  all  kinds  of  people  who  had  grievances  against  the 
Saints,  and  it  was  the  means  of  stirring  up  much  bitterness 
against  them.  In  August,  several  "Mormons"  who  had  been 
elected  to  county  offices,  upon  attempting  to  qualify  at  Carthage, 
the  county  seat,  were  threatened  by  an  armed  mob,  but  never- 
theless they  took  the  required  oaths.  With  this,  the  anti- 
"  Mormon"  party  renewed  their  pledges  to  fight  and  to  assist 
Missouri  in  any  future  attempt  to  harass  the  Prophet.  Besides 
this,  mobs  now  began  to  burn  the  homes  of  the  Saints  in  the 
districts  lying  outside  of  Nauvoo,  and  otherwise  .to  destroy 

*See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  127  and  128. 


74  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

their  possessions.  When  appealed  to  for  assistance,  Governor 
Ford  implied  in  his  reply  that  the  Saints  must  protect  them- 
selves. His  answer  was  in  the  same  line  as  those  of  former 
officials  in  Missouri,  and  as  that  of  President  Van  Buren;  it 
meant  to  that  persecuted  people:  however  just  your  cause,  we 
can  do  nothing  for  you. 

The  Nauvoo  Legion  was  held  in  readiness  to  protect  the 
people  from  the  depredations  of  the  mob. 


3.     The  Martyrdom. 

"What  will  be  your  rule  of  action  relative  to  us  as  a  people, 
should  fortune  favor  your  ascension  to  the  chief  magistracy?" 

This  question  was  directed  to  several  prominent  national 
politicians,  by  the  Prophet  Joseph  in  the  winter  of  1843-4. 
Replies  were  received  from  Henry  Clay  and  John  C.  Calhoun 
only,  and  these  were  so  evasive  that  the  Prophet  stingingly 
reproved  them  for  what  he  considered  their  cowardice  and 
lack  of  moral  force. 

Then  followed  the  startling  announcement  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States. 
He  was  nominated  on  the  29th  of  January,  1844,  and  duly 
sustained  at  a  state  convention  on  the  17th  of  May  following. 
In  the  meantime  (February  7)  appeared  a  printed  procla- 
mation of  the  Prophet's  "Views  on  the  Powers  and  Policy  of 
the  Government  of  the  United  States,"  in  which  he  defined 
his  position  on  the  burning  political  questions  of  the  day. 
Slavery  should  be  abolished,  the  slave-holders  to  be  paid  for 
their  slaves  by  the  general  Government;  money  for  this  purpose 
to  be  raised  by  the  reduction  of  salaries  of  Congressmen,  and 
by  the  sale  of  public  lands;  the  abolition  of  imprisonment  for 
debt,  and  for  all  crimes  save  murder;  work  on  public  improve- 
ments to  be  made  the  penalty  for  other  offenses;  the  peniten- 
tiaries to  be  turned  into  seminaries  of  learning;  the  investment 
of  power  in  the  President  to  send  armies  to  suppress  mobs; 
the  extension  of  the  United  States,  with  the  consent  of  the  red 
man,  from  sea  to  sea;  the  annexation  of  Texas,  Oregon,  and 
other  districts  when  they  should  ask  for  entrance  into  the 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  75 

Union.  Besides,  there  were  many  other  excellent  features  in 
his  platform.* 

To  promulgate  his  political  views,  and  to  act  as  his  elec- 
tioneers in  the  campaign,  the  Twelve  and  many  elders  were 
sent  to  the  Eastern  states.  The  reason  impelling  him  to  ac- 
cept the  candidacy  was  that  he  might  battle  for  the  religious 
and  civil  rights  of  his  people.**  Doubtless  he  had  little  faith 
in  winning  the  race  for  the  Presidency.  Said  he:  "I  care  but 
little  about  the  Presidential  chair;  I  would  not  give  half  as 
much  for  the  office  of  President  of  the  United  States  as  I  would 
for  the  one  I  now  hold  as  Lieutenant-General  of  the  Nauvoo 
Legion." 

We  find  him  more  interested  in  having  Oregon  and  Cali- 
fornia explored;  whither,  after  the  completion  of  the  temple, 
he  hoped  to  lead  his  legion  at  the  head  of  the  Saints,  there  to 
"build  a  city  in  a  day."  The  exploring  expedition  of  seventy- 
five  men  which  he  had  arranged  for  would  have  gone  on  this 
mission  but  for  the  political  move  referred  to.  In  March, 
Congress  was  memorialized  by  him  to  pass  an  act  for  the  pro- 
tection of  American  citizens  wishing  to  settle  Oregon,  which 
at  that  time  was  claimed  by  England  jointly  with  the  United 
States.  He  asked  for  the  privilege  of  raising  100,000  men  for 
this  purpose,  and  also  to  protect  Texas  against  Mexico,  and 
to  found  another  state  for  the  Union  in  the  midst  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  But  other  events  intervened  to  prevent  him  from 
accomplishing  the  plan.  However,  the  design  was  not  de- 
feated; Joseph  was  destined  to  die,  and  Brigham  Young  to 
carry  into  effect  the  outlined  program. 

The  situation  in  Nauvoo,  during  the  spring  and  summer  of 
1844,  was  desperate.  Not  only  were  there  dire  threatenings 
from  the  mob  without,  but  from  apostates  within,  who  were 
forming  all  kinds  of  plots  for  the  destruction  of  the  Prophet  and 
the  people  in  the  fated  city.  William  and  Wilson  Law,  the 
Higbees,  and  the  Fosters,  all  of  them  apostates,  and  as  vile  as 
they  were  bitter,  were  foremost  among  the  plotters.  These 

*See  "History  of  the  Church,"  Vol.  VI,  pp.  197-209. 

**"!  feel  it  to  be  my  right  and  privilege  to  obtain  what  influence  and  power  I  can, 
lawfully,  in  the  United  States,  for  the  protection  of  injured  innocence;  and  if  I  lose  my  life, 
in  a  good  cause,  I  am  willing  to  be  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  virtue,  righteousness  and  truth, 
in  maintaining  the  laws  and  constitution  of  the  United  States,  if  need  be  for  the  general 
good  of  mankind." — Joseph  Smith. 


76  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

men  founded  a  new  church,  with  William  Law,  formerly 
Joseph's  counselor,  as  president,  and  denounced  Joseph  as 
"a  fallen  Prophet." 

The  doctrine  of  plurality  of  wives  and  the  eternity  of  the 
marriage  covenant,  had  been  recorded  July  12,  1843,*  and  at 
the  time  of  which  we  write  was  secretly  taught  and  practiced 
among  the  leaders  of  the  Church.  Owing  to  his  position,  Wil- 
liam Law,  of  course,  knew  this,  and  therefore  had  Joseph 
arrested  for  polygamy.  He  was  discharged;  but  it  was  not 
against  him  alone  that  the  efforts  of  these  apostates  were 
directed;  the  whole  people  were  to  be  harassed  and  persecuted. 
To  this  end,  they  founded  the  Expositor,  a  newspaper  whose 
mission,  among  other  things,  was  to  advocate  the  uncondition- 
al repeal  of  the  Nauvoo  charter,  and  to  create  disobedience  to 
and  rebellion  against  the  Prophet.  It  made  its  first  appearance 
on  June  7,  1844,  filled  with  foul  abuse  and  filthy  scandals. 
The  whole  city  was  shocked.  The  city  council  met  on  the  10th, 
and  declared  the  paper  a  nuisance  that  must  be  abated;  and, 
on  the  day  following,  by  order  of  Mayor  Joseph  Smith,  it  was 
utterly  destroyed.  Immediately  leaving  the  city,  the  pro- 
prietors arranged  for  the  arrest  of  Joseph  and  a  number  of 
prominent  men,  on  the  charge  of  riot.  They  were  arrested, 
tried,  and  discharged  in  Nauvoo,  they  being  unwilling  to  leave 
that  city  for  trial.  This  caused  intense  excitement.  Soon 
anti-' 'Mormon"  mobs  gathered  against  Nauvoo  armed  for 
battle,  swearing  vengeance  on  the  people  and  their  leaders. 
The  situation  was  serious.  Word  had  been  sent  to  the  Governor, 
but  there  had  been  no  reply  from  him.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, Joseph,  seeing  no  escape  from  threatened  assault 
and  massacre,  declared  Nauvoo  under  martial  law,  calling  out 
the  Legion  to  defend  it.  Hearing  of  this,  the  weak  and  vacil- 
lating Governor  Ford  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  troops, 
virtually  transforming  the  assembling  mobs  into  militia,  and 
demanded  that  the  Prophet,  and  his  associates  in  the  de- 
struction of  the  Expositor,  come  to  Carthage  for  trial,  and  that 
martial  law  be  abolished  in  Nauvoo.  His  orders  were  obeyed. 
He  made  a  solemn  pledge,  upon  his  honor  and  the  faith  of  the 
state  of  Illinois,  that  the  prisoners  should  be  protected  from 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  132. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  77 

violence,  and  that  they  should  be  given  a  fair  trial.    This  pledge 
was  repeated  several  times  afterward,  but  was  never  kept. 

On  the  day  following,  by  demand  of  the  Governor,  the  Legion 
delivered  up  their  arms,  being  once  more  promised  protection. 
The  Prophet,  his  brother  Hyrum,  and  sixteen  others  of  their 
friends,  went  to  Carthage  on  the  evening  *f  the  24th  of  June, 
Joseph  remarking  that  he  was  going  "like  a  lamb  to  the  slaugh- 
ter."* He  had  hesitated  for  a  moment,  crossed  the  river 
with  some  of  his  friends,  thinking  to  go  to  the  mountains,  but 
returned  upon  the  solicitation  of  some  of  his  followers  who 
chided  him  with  cowardice  in  deserting  his  people.  That  they 
were  going  back  to  be  slaughtered  was  certain.  Their  enemies 
were  determined  that  if  the  law  could  not  reach  them,  powder 
and  ball  should. 

On  the  fatal  27th  of  June,  Joseph  and  Hyrum,  with  their 
friends  John  Taylor  and  Willard  Richards,  were  placed  in  an 
upper  room  of  the  Carthage  Jail.  About  5  o'clock  p.  m.  the 
Prophet  and  Hyrum  his  Patriarch  brother  were  shot  by  a  mob 
of  troops  about  two  hundred  strong.  John  Taylor  was  all 
but  fatally  wounded,  while  Willard  Richards  escaped  unhurt. 

While  this  bloody  tragedy  was  being  enacted  in  Carthage, 
by  the  mutinous  Carthage  Greys,  Governor  Ford  was  in  Nauvoo 
haranguing  the  disarmed,  peaceful  Saints  on  the  enormity  of 
their  crimes  in  destroying  the  Expositor.  He  must  have  known 
of  the  intention  of  the  mob,  for  his  attention  was  frequently 
called  to  the  threats  which  they  had  openly  made  never  to 
allow  the  Prophet  to  escape  alive.  He  was  "struck  with  a 
kind  of  dumbness,"  as  he  heard  of  the  assassination,  but  it 
was  doubtless  more  from  a  fear  for  his  own  safety  than  from 
grief  at  the  crime.  He  fled  to  Quincy  that  same  night,  after 
having  written  an  order  to  the  Saints  to  defend  themselves. 
The  horrified  mob  and  citizens  of  Carthage  fled  in  all  directions. 


*"I  am  going  like  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  but  I  am  calm  as  a  summer's  morning. 
I  have  a  conscience  void  of  offense  toward  God  and  toward  all  men.  If  they  take  my  life 
I  shall  die  an  innocent  man,  and  my  blood  shall  cry  from  the  ground  for  vengeance,  and  it 
shall  yet  be  said  of  me  'He  was  murdered  in  cold  blood!'  " — "History  of  the  Church," 
Vol.  VI,  p.  555. 


78  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


IV. 

THE  CHURCH  UNDER  BRIGHAM  YOUNG. 

1844-1877. 
* 
1.     Agreement  to  Leave  Nauvoo. 

The  foundation  for  the  Church  of  Christ,  which  the  Prophet 
Joseph  had  laid,  was  broad  and  grand.  To  follow  him,  God  had 
provided  in  Brigham  Young  a  strong  builder  who  thoroughly 
understood  the  plans  and  specifications  of  the  complex  and 
colossal  superstructure  that  was  thereupon  to  be  erected.  With 
master  mind  and  hand,  he  stood  ready  at  the  appointed  hour 
to  grapple  with  the  stupendous  task. 

The  woe  and  grief  of  the  stricken  Saints  were  beyond  de- 
scription. When  the  dead  bodies  of  their  martyred  leaders 
arrived  in  Nauvoo,  on  June  28,  1844,  ten  thousand  sorrowing 
people  gathered  to  gaze  upon  the  lifeless  clay.  Apostle  Willard 
Richards  and  Col.  Markham  admonished  the  people  to  keep 
the  peace,  to  look  to  the  law  for  a  remedy,  and,  that  failing, 
as  it  did,  to  leave  vengeance  to  Heaven. 

A  few  days  before  the  martyrdom,  the  apostles  had  been 
called  home  from  their  electioneering  mission,  but  the  most  of 
them  did  not  return  until  the  6th  of  August. 

The  training  to  which  the  Prophet  had  subjected  the 
apostles  abundantly  fitted  them  to  take  the  responsibility  of 
leading  the  Church.  His  last  days  had  been  devoted  assidu- 
ously to  the  ministry.  He  had  bestowed  upon  the  apostles 
and  other  faithful  elders,  the  endowments,  given  them  the 
keys  of  the  Priesthood  in  their  fulness,  taught  and  adminis- 
tered to  them  the  sealing  ordinances,  explaining  the  manner  in 
which  parents,  children,  the  whole  human  family,  are  to  be 
united  in  eternal  ties.  In  his  sermons,  he  dwelt  upon  these 
important  doctrines,  and  laid  a  foundation  broad  and  strong 
upon  which  to  build  the  Church — both  relating  to  government 
and  to  spiritual  doctrines.*  His  days  had  been  few  but  im- 
portant. All  his  years  were  full  of  persecution;  vindictive  hate 


*See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  112  and  129-131;  also  "Sermons  and  Writings 
of  the  Prophet  Joseph,"  "Contributor,"  Vol.  3. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  79 

followed  him  through  life.  By  "false  brethren"  he  was  constant- 
ly wounded.  He  had  now  sealed  his  divine  doctrines  and  his 
faithful  testimony  with  his  blood,  which,  as  with  other  martyrs, 
became  "the  seed  of  the  Church." 

For  the  first  time  since  that  quorum's  organization,  the 
Church  was  without  a  First  Presidency.  But  the  keys  and  the 
powers  had  been  left  with  the  apostles.  Well  for  the  cause 
that  such  a  character  as  Brigham  Young  stood  at  the  head  of 
that  quorum.  To  him  the  Saints  turned  instinctively  for  coun- 
sel. Sidney  Rigdon,  the  martyred  Prophet's  first  counselor, 
who  had  removed  to  Pennsylvania  to  escape  the  turmoils  of 
Nauvoo,  made  an  effort  to  induce  the  Saints  to  accept  his 
leadership,  but  the  hearts  of  the  people  were  not  with  him; 
and,  after  some  meetings  and  discussions,  on  the  8th  of  August, 
1844,  Brigham  Young  and  the  Twelve  apostles  were  sustained 
as  the  leaders  of  the  Church.  Brigham  was  regarded  by  the 
people  as  the  divinely  appointed  successor  of  the  Prophet; 
upon  him  the  mantle  of  Joseph  had  fallen.  His  ability  and  past 
labors  entitled  him  to  their  confidence,  as  the  Spirit  of  God  and 
the  gospel  designated  him  their  safest  guide.*  He  laid  hold 
of  the  work  where  the  Prophet  finished,  and  carried  it  on  suc- 
cessfully. It  was  soon  manifest  to  the  enemies  of  the  Church, 
who  paused  to  view  the  effects  of  the  murder  storm  of  Carthage, 
that  "Mormonism"  would  not  die  with  its  Prophet.  There  had 
arisen  an  equally  fitting  character,  however  they  may  have 
differed,  to  lead  the  Saints  on  their  thorny,  though  triumphant, 
way.  Upon  the  foundations  laid  by  the  first,  the  second  was  to 
build  a  structure  that  was  to  become  the  wonder  and  the  ad- 
miration of  the  world. 

For  a  short  period,  there  was  peace  in  Nauvoo.  The  build- 
ing of  the  temple  and  other  public  places  was  continued  in  the 
midst  of  poverty.  The  population  was  increased  by  emigra- 
tion from  the  old  world.  But  the  enemies  of  the  cause  were  as 
active  as  ever;  nothing  but  the  scattering  and  utter  destruction 


*Brighara  found  himself  in  possession  of  qualities  which  we  find  present  primarily  in 
all  great  men — "intellectual  force,  mental  superiority,  united  with  personal  magnetism 
and  physique  enough  to  give  weight  to  will  and  opinion;  for  Brigham  Young  was  assuredly 
a  great  man,  if  by  greatness  we  mean  one  who  is  superior  to  others  in  strength  and  skill, 
moral,  intellectual,  or  physical." — Bancroft's  "Utah,"  p.  201. 

"A  notable  character  in  life's  grand  tragedy,  one  bloody  scene  of  which  had  so  lately 
closed,  waiting  at  the  wing  he  had  caught  his  cue,  and  the  stirring  stage  of  Time  was  now 
ready  for  his  advent." — Whitney's  "Utah,"  Vol.  I,  p.  235. 


80  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

of  the  Saints  would  satisfy  their  designs.  Realizing  that  the 
enforced  and  foreshadowed  exodus  to  the  West  was  near  at 
hand,  the  people  were  counseled  by  their  leaders  to  bend  every 
energy  to  complete  the  sacred  temple,  so  that  all  might  enjoy 
the  blessings  of  the  glorious  doctrines  which  the  martyred 
Prophet  had  revealed  to  them.  Before  their  departure  to  the 
West,  the  edifice  was  so  far  completed,  that  in  December,  1845, 
and  January,  1846,  thousands  received  their  endowments, 
blessings  and  anointings  therein. 

A  faint  effort  was  made,  in  the  fall  of  1844,  also  in  May, 
1845,  to  bring  the  murderers  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum  to  justice,  but 
after  a  trial,  they  were  ' 'honorably  acquitted."  There  was  no 
hope  for  the  Saints  to  receive  justice.  Yielding  to  the  popular 
clamor,  the  legislature  repealed  the  Nauvoo  city  charter,  in 
January,  1845,  and  the  place  became  the  prey  of  lawlessness.* 
In  April  Governor  Ford  wrote  to  President  Young  advising 
him  to  go  West  with  his  people,  to  "get  off  by  yourselves" 
where  you  may  enjoy  peace.**  This  course  had  long  been 
decided  upon,  and  the  desire  to  complete  the  temple  was  all 
that  delayed  the  Saints  in  carrying  out  their  plans. 

In  the  fall  of  1845,  encouraged  by  the  acquittal  of  the 
fiends  of  Carthage,  mobs  became  more  and  more  bold  in  their 
depredations;  outrages,  burnings  and  persecutions  were  in- 
flicted afresh  upon  the  defenseless  Saints.  Their  houses  fired, 
and  their  possessions  destroyed,  they  fled  from  the  outlying 
districts  to  Nauvoo  for  protection.***  At  this  juncture, 
Governor  Ford  called  out  the  troops  to  restore  order.  Peace 
was  proclaimed  to  the  people,  and  the  mob  was  commanded  to 
obey  authority.  Then,  on  the  1st  of  October,  a  conference 
was  held  of  the  "Mormon"  leaders  and  General  Harding, 


*Said  Josiah  Lamborn,  Esq.,  Attorney-General  of  Illinois:  "By  the  repeal  of  your 
charter,  and  by  refusing  all  amendments  and  modifications,  our  legislature  has  given  a 
kind  of  sanction  to  the  barbarous  manner  in  which  you  have  been  treated.  It  is  truly  a 
melancholy  spectacle  to  witness  the  law-makers  of  a  sovereign  state  condescending  to 
pander  to  the  vices,  ignorance,  and  malevolence  of  a  class  of  people  who  are  at  all  times 
ready  for  riot,  murder  and  rebellion." 

**For  a  copy  of  this  letter,  and  other  documents  relating  to  the  departure  of  the  Saints 
from  Nauvoo,  see  Tullidge's  "History  of  Salt  Lake  City,"  pp.  8-13. 

***Mobs  commenced  driving  out  the  "Mormons"  in  the  lower  part  of  Hancock  county, 
and  burning  their  houses  and  property. — The  burning  was  continued  from  settlement  to 
settlement  for  ten  or  eleven  days,  without  any  resistance  whatever." — Wells,  in  Bancroft's 
"History  of  Utah." 

"The  mob  said  they  would  drive  all  into  Nauvoo,  and  all  Nauvoo  into  the  Mississippi. 
— Richards  in  Bancroft's  "History  of  Utah," 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  81 

commander  of  the  troops,  with  Attorney- General  McDougal, 
Senator  Douglas,  and  Major  Warren.  The  result  was  an  agree- 
ment by  the  Saints,  who  well  knew  that  there  was  no  alterna- 
tive between  exodus  and  extermination  by  massacre,  to  leave 
the  state  in  the  spring.  On  the  other  hand,  they  were  not  to 
be  molested  by  the  mob,  but  this  promise  was  not  kept.  Their 
removal  had  been  demanded  by  a  meeting  of  representatives 
of  nine  counties  of  the  state,  assembled  in  Carthage. 

As  rapidly  as  possible,  preparations  were  made  to  move 
West  in  compliance  with  the  terms  of  the  agreement,  and  with 
the  decision  of  the  Church  leaders.  Land  was  disposed  of, 
leased  or  exchanged,  for  animals  and  wagons.  Property  of  all 
kinds  was  sold,  or  left  for  sale  in  the  hands  of  trusted  agents. 
So  closed  the  year  1845. 

2.     Expelled  from  Illinois. 

After  a  little  less  than  seven  years  of  troubled  rest,  during 
which  time  wonderful  strides  in  temporal  as  well  as  spiritual 
progress  had  been  made,  the  Saints,  now  twenty  thousand 
strong,  once  more  must  leave  their  homes.  Driven  again  from 
their  city,  they  must  now  abandon  themselves  to  the  mercy 
of  the  savages,  journey  far  beyond  the  borders  of  civilization. 

Hundreds  of  farms,  two  thousand  houses,  and  much 
personal  property,  were  now  offered  for  sale  in  and  about  Nau- 
voo.  Their  many  public  buildings  and  their  glorious  and  be- 
loved temple,  the  Saints  did  not  expect  to  sell,  but  they  called 
upon  all  good  citizens  to  aid  them  in  the  disptosal  of  their  other 
possessions,  giving  the  men  of  Illinois  to  understand,  however, 
that  they  would  not  sacrifice  or  give  away  their  property.  But 
a  community  who  were  unwilling  to  keep  their  own  conditions 
of  the  covenant  of  peace  with  the  "Mormons,"  could  not  be 
expected  to  render  pecuniary  assistance  to  the  afflicted  people. 
Possessions  were  therefore  sold  for  a  mere  nothing.  The  coun- 
try was  scoured  for  miles  around,  and  property  traded  at  a 
fearful  sacrifice,  for  traveling  outfits. 

At  length,  harried  by  their  enemies,  dMven  almost  at  the 
point  of  the  sword,  the  Saints  gathered  in  large  numbers  on 
the  east  shore  of  the  river,  and,  on  February  4,  1846,  began 


82  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

crossing  the  water  on  their  way  to  the  West.  After  that  date, 
the  ferries  were  kept  busy  day  and  night  until  the  river  froze 
over,  when  crossing  was  continued  on  the  ice.  By  the  middle 
of  the  month,  a  thousand  souls,  with  their  effects,  had  been 
landed  on  the  Iowa  shore.  Proceeding,  they  made  their  first 
camp  at  Sugar  Creek,  nine  miles  west  into  Iowa.*  They  suffer- 
ed severely,  the  ground  being  snow-covered  and  the  weather 
bitter  cold.  Sleeping  in  tents  and  wagons,  they  and  their  sick 
underwent  much  hardship  and  affliction  both  of  body  and  mind, 
driven  as  they  were  by  civilized  Christians  from  comfortable 
homes,  and  camping  now  almost  in  sight  of  these,  on  the  bleak 
prairie,  in  the  dead  of  winter,  with  no  prospects  before  them 
but  snow,  storms,  savages,  and  the  untrodden  wilderness. 
Well  might  the  historian  Bancroft  exclaim:  "There  is  no  parallel 
in  the  world's  history  of  this  migration  from  Nauvoo."** 

On  the  15th,  they  joined  President  Young,  the  leading 
spirit  of  the  exodus,  who  began  the  temporary  organization 
of  the  camp.  Firmly  but  kindly  he  gave  laws  for  the  guidance 
of  the  "Camps  of  Israel,"  enjoining  honesty  and  morality. 
Innocent  amusement  and  recreation  were  to  be  permitted  in  mod- 
eration, as  a  means  of  diverting  the  people's  minds  from  their 
past  troubles  and  present  toils  and  hardships.  Having  peti- 
tioned the  Governor  for  protection  while  passing  through  his 
territory,  President  Young  and  the  apostles  made  a  farewell 
visit  to  Nauvoo,  holding  a  parting  service  in  the  temple  where 
the  remnant  of  the  Saints  were  instructed  in  their  duties.  This 
done,  they  returned  to  camp,  and,  on  March  1,  orders  to  ad- 
vance were  given.  Five  miles  were  covered  that  day.  Then 
from  day  to  day,  they  continued  their  journey  in  rain,  snow  and 
mud,  towards  the  setting  sun,  their  hearts  cheered  by  the  God 
of  the  friendless.  Many  were  poor,  some  were  destitute,  but 
allfwere  as  happy  as  could  be  under  the  circumstances.  They 


*Says  Col.  Thomas  L.  Kane:  "The  people  of  Iowa  have  told  me  that  from  morning  to 
night  they  passed  westward  like  an  endless  procession.  They  did  not  seem  greatly  out  of 
heart, they  said;  but  at  the  top  of  every  hill,  before  they  disappeared,  were  to  be  seen  look- 
ing back,  like  banished  Moors,  on  their  abandoned  homes  and  the  far-seen  temple  and  its 
glittering  spire." 

**Bancroft's  "History  of  Utah,"  p.  217. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  83 

never  uselessly  repined,  but  watched,  prayed,  worked,  listened 
to  music,  danced,  sang  and  rejoiced.* 

At  Shoal  Creek,  near  Chariton  river,  on  March  27,  a  more 
complete  organization  was  effected.  Captains  were  appointed 
over  "hundreds,"  "fifties"  and  "tens."  Reinforced  by  fresh 
arrivals,  the  companies  soon  numbered  about  three  thousand 
wagons,  thousands  of  cattle,  besides  sheep,  horses  and  mules. 
Settlements  sprang  up  in  the  wilderness  of  Iowa,  as  if  by  magic. 
They  were  called  "traveling  stakes  of  Zion,"  and  chief  among 
these  were  Garden  Grove  and  Mount  Pisgah,  near  which  farm- 
ing operations  were  carried  on  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  should 
follow  after. 

In  July,  the  main  body  reached  the  Missouri,  settling  in  a 
place  which  they  named  Kanesville,  now  known  as  Council 
Bluffs.  President  Young  and  the  vanguard  had  arrived  about 
the  middle  of  June.  Later,  a  part  of  the  company  crossed  the 
river  and  settled  upon  the  Pottawatamie  and  Omaha  Indian 
lands,  where  Winter  Quarters,  now  Florence,  was  founded, 
with  a  population  of  about  four  thousand  souls. 

It  was  President  Young's  intention  to  hasten  on  that  sum- 
mer with  an  exploring  party  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The 
muster  of  volunteers  for  this  purpose  was  in  progress  at  Mount 
Pisgah,  under  the  direction  of  Elder  Wilford  Woodruff,  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve,  recently  returned  from  England,  when 
a  startling  incident  occurred  which  changed  his  plans  and  de- 
layed the  migration  west  until  the  following  spring.  Their 
country  made  a  call  for  volunteers  for  quite  another  purpose — 
a  requisition  for  a  battalion  of  five  hundred  men  to  take  part 
in  the  Mexican  war.  There  were  now  twelve  thousand  Latter- 
day  Saints  inhabiting  the  temporary  settlements  stretched 
across  the  plains  of  Iowa  from  Winter  Quarters  to  Garden 
Grove. 


*"A  spectacle  sublime.  An  exiled  nation  going  forth,  like  Israel  from  Egypt,  into  the 
wilderness,  there  to  worship,  unmolested,  the  God  of  their  fathers  in  his  own  appointed 
way;  that  from  their  loins  might  spring  a  people  nursed  in  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  made 
stalwart  by  tribulation,  that  should  leap  from  the  mountains  in  a  day  to  come,  and  roll 
back  an  avalanche  of  power,  to  regain  possession  of  their  promised  land." — Whitney's 
"Life  of  Heber  C.  Kimball,"  p.  363. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


3.     Two  Maitary  Pictures. 

As  early  as  August  6,  1842,  the  Prophet  Joseph  had  pre- 
dicted that  the  Saints  would  be  driven  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
On  that  date  he  went  over  the  river  to  Montrose,  Iowa.  It 
was  while  there  that  Joseph  conversed  with  a  number  of  the 
brethren  on  the  "Mormon"  persecutions  and  that  he  uttered 
the  remarkable  prophecy.*  Other  recorded  pages  in  early 
Church  history  point  to  the  fact  that  it  was  contemplated  that 
somewhere  in  the  Great  Basin  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  a  new 
abiding  place  would  be  found.  In  a  letter  written  by  Brigham 
Young  to  President  Polk,  August  9,  1846,  it  is  stated  that  the 
Saints  are  determined  to  find  a  home  in  the  West  in  the  basin 
of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  "where  a  good  living  will  require  hard 
labor,"  and  hence  a  place  that  "will  be  coveted  by  no  other 
people."  In  January  of  the  same  year  the  high  council  made 
public  an  announcement  of  the  intention  of  the  "Mormon" 
people  to  move  to  "some  good  valley  in  the  Rocky  Mountains," 
and  suggested  that  in  the  event  that  President  Polk's  recom- 
mendations should  become  law,  they  would  like  to  build  stock- 
ades and  block-houses  on  the  route  to  Oregon.  They  did  de- 
sire to  do  that  work  for  the  government,  suggesting  that  under 
their  circumstances  in  this  their  enforced  migration,  they  could 
do  it  with  less  expense  to  the  government  than  could  any  other 
people.  *  * 

"Mormon"  messengers  were  sent  to  Washington  and  had 
asked  for  help  on  their  enforced  movement  to  the  West.  Mr. 
Polk,  the  President  of  the  United  States,  seemed  inclined  to 
grant  the  request,  and  so  an  order  was  finally  made  to  have 
500  "Mormons"  enlist  in  the  army  and  march  to  California 
to  aid  in  the  Mexican  war  and  incidentally  in  the  conquest  of 
California. 

The  help  which  they  had  asked  for  came  at  a  very  incon- 
venient time  and  not  in  the  way  the  messengers  or  people  had 
expected.  It  was  thought  that  the  government  would  aid  them 
by  giving  them  some  government  work  along  the  route  which 


""'History  of  the  Church,"  Vol.  5,  page  85; "Brief  History  of  the  Church,"  111:2,  in  note. 
**See  "Times  and  Seasons,"  Vol.  5,  page  1096;  "History  of  Brigham  Young,"  manu- 
script book  2,  page  187,  quoted  in  Roberts'  "The  Mormon  Battalion." 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  85 

they  designed  to  take  to  California,  as  indicated  in  Presi- 
dent Folk's  recommendations  to  Congress,  namely,  to  build 
stockades  and  block-houses  on  the  route  to  Oregon,  and  in  that 
way  receive  some  help  from  the  government  on  their  enforced 
exodus.  However,  as  stated,  they  were  instead  asked  to  fur- 
nish their  men  for  the  army  in  the  war  with  Mexico.  Mr.  J.  C. 
Little  had  been  appointed,  by  the  Church  authorities,  as  presi- 
dent of  the  eastern  states  mission,  and  had  received  instructions 
to  the  effect  that  if  the  government  should  offer  any  facilities 
for  immigration  to  the  western  coast,  that  he  should  embrace 
those  facilities,  if  possible,  for  the  people  and  take  every  honor- 
able advantage  of  the  offer  which  it  was  possible  for  him  to  do. 
He  consulted  with  the  President,  with  the  result  stated. 

There  was  considerable  excitement  when  it  was  learned  that 
this  plan  for  "Mormon"  participation  consisted  in  having  sol- 
diers selected  from  the  people  to  take  part  in  the  war,  rather 
than  in  the  work  which  had  been  originally  contemplated. 
Some  there  were,  when  this  requisition  of  the  government  for 
the  "Mormon"  Battalion  was  made,  who  appeared  to  be  un- 
certain as  to  whether  the  muster  was  intended  for  good  or  for 
evil  to  them;  whether  it  was  in  answer  to  their  leader's  petition 
for  help  to  enable  them  to  settle  in  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
or  whether  it  was  intended  for  their  injury.  On  the  llth  of 
July,  however,  Colonel  Thomas  L.  Kane  reached  the  "Mormon" 
camps  at  Council  Bluffs  and  gave  assurance  that  the  general 
government  had  taken  the  "Mormon"  case  into  consideration 
inferentially  with  benevolent  intentions.*  President  Young 
states  in  his  manuscript  history  as  follows,  in  regard  to  the  call: 
"I  propose  that  the  500  volunteers  be  mustered,  and  I  would 
do  my  best  to  see  all  the  families  brought  forward  as  far  as  my 
influence  extended  and  feed  them  when  I  had  anything  to  eat 
myself."** 

Brigham  Young  also  stated,  as  recorded  in  his  manuscript 
history  book  2,  pp.  30-34,  and  quoted  by  B.  H.  Roberts  in  the 
History  and  Achievement  of  the  Mormon  Battalion,  in  a  letter 
written  to  the  trustees  at  Nauvoo:  "This  is  the  first  time  the 
government  has  stretched  forth  its  arm  to  our  assistance  and 

*See  Taylor's  Journal  Entry  of  July  11,  1846. 
**"History  of  Brigham  Young,"  manuscript  book  2,  pages  4  and  5. 


86  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

we  receive  the  proffer  with  joy  and  we  feel  confident  that  they 
(the  battalion)  will  have  little  or  no  fighting.  The  pay  of  the 
500  men  will  take  their  families  to  them.  The  'Mormons' 
then,  being  the  only  settlers,  will  have  a  chance  to  choose  the 
best  locations." 

However  this  may  be,  there  were  many  people  who  could 
not  understand  the  situation.  Think  of  taking  500  of  the  young, 
able-bodied  men,  the  flower  of  the  camps,  from  their  present 
all  but  helpless  ranks.  Consider  the  dependent  ones  that  would 
be  left  behind  in  an  Indian  country  without  means  of  support, 
in  the  midst  of  the  dangers  and  hardships  of  an  unparalleled 
exodus!  Then  arose  in  their  minds  the  memories  of  Missouri, 
the  martyrdom,  their  recent  treatment  by  the  government  of 
Illinois,  their  present  condition!  Natural  indeed  that  they 
should  ask,  what  shall  be  done?  What  shall  our  leaders  decide 
to  do? 

But,  when  the  matter  was  laid  before  President  Young  by 
Capt.  James  Allen,  acting  under  General  Kearny,  the  captain 
was  promptly  told  that  he  should  have  his  men.  "You  shall 
have  your  battalion,"  said  Brigham.  The  far  sighted  vision 
of  Brigham  Young  and  the  loyalty  of  the  "Mormons,"  their 
love  of  country,  their  devotion  to  the  Union,  were  the  consider- 
ations alone  that  could  have  insured  such  a  patriotic  reply  at 
such  a  time. 

There  not  being  men  enough  in  Winter  Quarters,  President 
Young  and  others  proceeded  to  the  various  camps  in  the  role 
of  recruiting  officers.  At  Mount  Pisgah  many  were  enrolled. 
Messengers  were  sent  to  other  camps,  and  to  Nauvoo,  for 
young  men,  old  men,  and  boys,  to  fill  the  places  made  vacant 
by  the  enlisted  men.  At  Council  Bluffs,  upon  the  arrival  of 
the  Pisgah  volunteers,  the  enrollment  was  completed,  on  the 
15th  of  July.  Addressing  the  Saints,  at  a  meeting  in  the 
Bowery,  President  Young  cautioned  them  "not  to  mention 
families  today.  We  want  to  conform  to  the  requisition  made 
upon  us.  We  must  raise  the  battalion.  I  say  it  is  right;  and 
who  cares  for  sacrificing  our  comfort  for  a  few  years." 

The  result  is  thus  summarized  by  Col.  Kane,  who  was 
present  at  the  time:  "A  central  mass  meeting  for  counsel,  some 
harangues  at  the  remotely  scattered  camps,  an  American  flag 
brought  out  from  the  store-house  of  things  rescued  and  hoisted 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  87 

to  the  top  of  a  tree-mast,  and  in  three  days  the  force  was  re- 
ported, mustered,  organized  and  ready  to  march." 

The  Battalion,  numbering  in  all  five  hundred  and  forty- 
nine  souls,  took  up  their  western  march  on  the  16th,  having  on 
the  evening  previous  taken  leave  of  their  loved  ones,  and  en- 
joyed themselves  in  a  social  reunion,  with  music,  songs  and 
dance.  For  two  thousand  miles,  from  the  Missouri  to  the 
Pacific,  the  Battalion  marched  over  dreary  deserts,  braving 
dangers  and  hardships,  finally  reaching  California,  January  29, 
1847.*  Whatever  else  may  be  said  of  the  "Mormons,"  let  no 
man  dare,  after  such  a  test,  to  question  their  patriotism  and 
loyalty. 

That  is  one  military  picture,  in  the  foreground  of  which 
stands  forth  prominently  patriotism  and  loyalty  to  country, 
under  the  most  trying  circumstances  that  could  be  named — 
an  enduring  honor  to  the  Latter-day  Saints. 

Now   the   other. 

After  the  departure  of  the  leaders,  in  1846,  such  haste 
was  made  by  the  remaining  Saints  to  leave  Nauvoo  as  should 
have  been  satisfactory  to  any  reasonable  person.  But  the  anti- 
"Mormons"  affected  to  believe,  and  freely  asserted,  that  the 
"Mormons"  did  not  intend  to  leave  the  State.**  In  July, 
they  raised  troops  to  march  against  Nauvoo.  The  new  citi- 
zens averted  a  conflict  at  that  time,  but  on  September  10  and 
12,  a  mob  led  by  Col.  Brockman,  a  Campbellite  preacher,  pro- 
ceeded to  bombard  the  city.  The  citizens,  greatly  outnumbered, 
banded  together  for  defense,  but  were  overpowered,  in  a  con- 
flict, on  the  12th,  of  over  an  hour's  duration,  during  which 
several  citizens  were  killed.  Then  followed  a  siege  of  several 
days  which  ended  in  a  treaty  whose  main  provisions  were  the 
surrender  of  the  city,  the  immediate  departure  of  the  remaining 
"Mormons"  (numbering  something  over  600  souls),  the  pro- 


*Says  Lieutenant-Col.  St.  George  Cooke,  in  charge  of  the  Battalion,  vice  Col.  J.  Allen , 
deceased:  "History  may  be  searched  in  vain  for  an  equal  march  of  infantry.  Half  of  it 
has  been  through  a  wilderness  where  nothing  but  savages  and  wild  beasts  are  found,  or 
deserts  where,  for  the  want  of  water,  there  is  no  living  creature.  There,  with  almost 
hopeless  labor,  we  have  dug  deep  wells,  which  the  future  traveler  will  enjoy.  Without  a 
guide  who  had  traversed  them,  we  have  ventured  into  trackless  table  lands,  where  water 
was  not  found  for  several  marches.  With  crowbar  and  pick  and  ax  in  hand,  we  have 
worked  our  way  over  mountains  which  seemed  to  defy  aught  save  the  wild  goat,  and 
hewed  a  passage  through  a  chasm  of  living  rock  more  narrow  than  our  wagons." — "The 
Conquest  of  New  Mexico  and  California,"  by  P.  St.  George  Cooke. 

**In  short,  from  the  1st  of  May  to  the  final  evacuation  of  the  city  the  men  of  Illinois 
never  ceased  from  strife  and  outrage." — Bancroft's  "History  of  Utah,"  p.  226. 


88  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

tection  of  property  and  persons  from  violence,  and  the  sick  to 
be  treated  humanely. 

No  sooner  did  the  mob  get  possession  of  the  city,  however, 
than  the  agreement  was  outrageously  violated  by  them. 
The  citizens  were  treated  with  every  indignity:  and, 
finally,  all  the  Saints  who  had  not  already  fled,  were  forced, 
at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  to  abandon  their  homes  and  posses- 
sions. The  last  remnant  crossed  the  river  September  17.  They, 
and  their  sick  and  destitute,  were  dumped,  shelterless,  penni- 
less, with  scarcely  any  food  or  clothing,  upon  the  flats  of  the 
western  shore  of  the  Mississippi.  Their  deserted  city  was 
pillaged,  plundered;  its  holy  temple  desecrated  with  the  boister- 
ous orgies  and  vulgar  songs  of  a  drunken  mob. 

What  became  of  the  driven  "Mormons?"  "Where  were 
they?  They  had  last  been  seen,  carrying  in  mournful  train  their 
sick  and  wounded,  halt  and  blind,  to  disappear  behind  the 
western  horizon,  pursuing  the  phantom  of  another  home. 
Hardly  anything  else  was  known  of  them,  and  people  asked 
with  curiosity,  what  had  been  their  fate — what  their  fortune?"  * 

And  all  this,  while  their  brethren  of  the  Mormon  Batta- 
lion were  marching  under  the  good  old  flag  to  do  battle  for  our 
country's  cause,  on  the  plains  of  Mexico! 

That  is  another  military  picture,  in  which  the  sullied  good 
name  of  one  of  the  sovereign  states  of  the  Union,  Illinois,  with 
her  weak  and  wavering  Governor,  stands  prominently  in  the 
foreground  to  their  everlasting  shame  and  disgrace. 

Most  of  the  twenty  thousand  population  of  Nauvoo  were 
now  sojourning  in  the  wilderness  with  the  "Camps  of  Israel." 
They  endured  much  suffering.  There  was  a  lack  of  food  and 
clothing.  Fevers  broke  out  among  them,  and  many  slept  the 
sleep  of  death  on  the  prairies.  At  Winter  Quarters  alone,  there 
were  over  six  hundred  buried.  Yet  with  all  this,  the  spirits 


*From  Col.  Kane's  lecture  before  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  89 

of  the  people  were  kept  buoyant  with  labor  and  the  hope  of 
better  days.* 

In  Winter  Quarters,  nearly  seven  hundred  log  and  turf 
houses  were  erected,  the  city  being  laid  out  with  streets  in 
regular  order.  There  were  factories,  shops,  mills,  and  a  taber- 
nacle for  worship,  the  whole  being  fortified  in  frontier  fashion. 
Everybody  was  kept  busy,  the  organizations  of  the  Church 
were  continued,  religious  meetings  held,  missionaries  sent 
abroad,  schools  established.  Many  scattered  through  the 
western  states  in  search  of  work.  Teams  and  supplies  were 
sent  back  to  relieve  the  poor  remnants  of  Nauvoo,  in  their 
flight  from  tyrant  mobs. 

And  so  passed  the  winter  of  1846-7. 


*Their  souls  were  kept  buoyant  with  simple  amusements,  labor,  songs,  and  innocent 
recreations.  It  was  here,  and  on  their  further  journey  to  the  mountains,  that  this  wonder- 
ful pioneer  song  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  was  sung  with  spirit  and  with  feeling: 

Come,  come,  ye  Saints,  no  toil  nor  labor  fear, 

But  with  joy  wend  your  way; 
Though  hard  to  you  this  journey  may  appear, 

Grace  shall  be  as  your  day. 
'Tis  better  far  for  us  to  strive, 
Our  useless  cares  from  us  to  drive; 
Do  this  and  joy  your  hearts  will  swell — 
All  is  well!  all  is  well! 

Why  should  we  mourn,  or  think  our  lot  is  hard? 

'Tis  not  so:  all  is  right! 
Why  should  we  think  to  earn  a  great  reward, 

If  we  now  shun  the  fight? 
Gird  up  your  loins,  fresh  courage  take, 
Our  God  will  never  us  forsake; 
And  soon  we'll  have  this  tale  to  tell — 
All  is  well!  all  is  well! 

We'll  find  the  place  which  God  for  us  prepared, 

Far  away  in  the  West; 
Where  none  shall  come  to  hurt  nor  make  afraid; 

There  the  Saints  will  be  blessed. 
We'll  make  the  air  with  music  ring; 
Shout  praises  to  our  God  and  King; 
Above  the  rest  these  words  we'll  tell — 
All  is  well!  all  is  well! 

And  should  we  die  before  our  journey's  through, 

Happy  day!  all  is  well! 
We  then  are  free  from  toil  and  sorrow  too; 

With  the  just  we  shall  dwell. 
But  if  our  lives  are  spared  again 
To  see  the  Saints,  their  rest  obtain, 
O  how  we'll  make  this  chorus  swell — 
All  is  well!  all  is  well! 


90  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


4.     The  Pioneers  and  First  Companies. 

On  the  14th  of  January,  1847,  President  Brigham  Young 
made  known  "The  Word  and  Will  of  the  Lord  Concerning  the 
Camps  of  Israel  in  their  Journeyings  to  the  West."*  In  this 
manifesto  are  found  the  instructions  that  should  guide  the 
Saints  in  their  continued  travels.  In  conformity  therewith, 
they  made  early  preparations  to  vacate  Winter  Quarters,  and 
to  depart  for  their  unknown  inheritances  in  the  wilderness. 
Twelve  times  twelve  able-bodied  men  were  selected  to  pave 
the  way.**  These  pioneers  started  from  Winter  Quarters  on 
the  7th  of  April.  On  the  8th,  they  encamped  near  the  Elkhorn; 
and,  during  the  next  few  days  following  the  17th  of  April, 
when  the  camp  was  about  sixty  miles  west  of  the  starting 
point,  the  members  were  organized  thoroughly  into  a  mili- 
tary company,  with  Brigham  Young  as  Lieutenant-General, 
Stephen  Markham  as  Colonel,  and  fourteen  captains. 

Prepared  and  equipped  to  fight  (if  necessary),  and  to  con- 
struct their  way  over  the  rivers,  plains,  and  mountains  of  the 
thousand-mile  journey  before  them,  they  continued  their 
westward,  pilgrim  march  for  three  months  and  seventeen  days. 
They  followed  the  north  bank  of  the  Platte,  making  a  new  road, 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  should  come  after,  for  over  six 
hundred  miles,  and  for  the  remainder  of  the  distance  following 
a  trail  made  by  trappers.  At  length,  after  many  thrilling  ex- 
periences, on  the  since  celebrated  24th  of  July,  President 
Young  and  his  band  of  pioneers  entered  the  Valley  of  the 
Great  Salt  Lake.  The  deserts  and  mountains  had  been  pene- 
trated. About  the  grateful  wanderers,  bathed  in  the  thin, 
clear  air,  lay  the  new  land  of  Zion,  the  resting-place  beheld  by 
their  inspired  leader  when  the  voice  whispered  to  him, "Here 
is  the  place  where  my  people  Israel  shall  pitch  their  tents." 
The  hills  reverberated  to  their  hosanna  shouts  of  praise  and 
joy.*** 

*See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  136. 

**One  of  these,  Ellis  Eames,  fell  sick,  and  returned  to  camp,  leaving  the  number  of  the 
Pioneers  at  143,  with  three  women  and  two  children.  They  had  seventy-two  wagons, 
ninety-three  horses,  fifty-two  mules,  sixty-six  oxen,]  and  nineteen  cows,  besides  seventeen 
dogs  and  some  chickens. 

***"In  the  heart  of  America,  they  are  now  upon  the  border  of  a  new  Holy  Land,  with  the 
Desert  and  its  Dead  Sea,  its  River  Jordan,  Mount  of  Olives  and  Galilee  Lake,  and  a  hun- 
dred other  features  of  its  prototype  of  Asia." — Bancroft's  "History  of  Utah,"  p.  258, 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  91 

The  25th  being  Sunday,  they  held  two  religious  services, 
thanking  God  for  their  deliverance.  Pointing  to  the  ancient 
prophecies,  the  speakers  maintained  that  these  foretold  of 
their  coming:  "Oh,Zion,  that  bringest  good  tidings,  get  thee 
up  into  the  high  mountain."  And  again,  God  was  to  "hide 
his  people  in  the  chambers  of  the  mountains,"  and  in  the  last 
days  the  Lord's  house  was  to  be  established  in  the  top  of  the 
mountains,  and  was  to  be  "exalted  above  the  hills;  and  all 
nations  shall  flow  unto  it."* 

Losing  no  time,  they  began  early  the  next  day  to  plant 
potatoes  and  grain.  Companies  were  organized  to  explore  the 
surrounding  regions.  The  tall  peak  north  of  the  settlement 
was  scaled,  and  its  summit  called  Ensign  Peak,  because  it 
was  a  suitable  place  to  raise  an  ensign  to  the  nations.  The 
river,  the  lake  and  the  hot  springs  were  visited.  On  the  28th, 
a  spot  for  a  temple  was  selected,  and  the  general  plan  of  the 
city  decided  upon.  In  the  early  part  of  August,  the  Twelve 
and  many  of  the  people  renewed  their  covenants  by  baptism. 
Everybody  was  kept  busy.  Some  were  tilling  the  soil,  some 
cutting  and  hauling  timber,  building,  making  adobes,  and 
otherwise  preparing  for  the  Saints  who  were  to  follow  after 
and  inhabit.  All  were  anxious  to  do  as  much  as  possible  before 
returning  to  assist  their  friends.  The  pioneers  had  been  re- 
inforced, soon  after  their  arrival,  by  one  hundred  and  forty 
men  of  the  Mormon  Battalion  detachment,  and  about  one 
hundred  Saints  from  Mississippi. 

At  a  conference  on  the  22nd  day  of  August,  a  Stake  of 
Zion  was  organized,  with  Father  John  Smith  as  President. 
At  this  time,  the  settlement  was  named  Great  Salt  Lake  City, 
and  the  surrounding  creeks  and  canyons  and  the  river  Jordan 
were  christened.  The  whole  region  whose  waters  flow  into  the 
lake  was  called  the  Great  Basin. 

On  the  17th,  seventy-one  men,  mostly  of  the  Battalion, 
had  returned,  well  organized,  to  Winter  Quarters.  Later, 
August  26,  President  Young  and  a  company  of  one  hundred 
and  seven  persons,  also  mostly  Battalion  men  who  had  families 


*Isaiah  xl:  9;  ii:2-3. 


92  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

among  the  Saints,  started  for  Winter  Quarters,  bidding  "A 
hearty  good-bye  to  all  who  tarry."* 

On  the  trail  of  the  pioneers  were  now  moving  several  com- 
panies of  Saints — distinguished  as  the  first  emigrations.  In 
June,  these  were  organized  on  the  Elk  Horn,  in  accordance 
with  the  instructions  left  by  President  Young.  Apostles  Parley 
P.  Pratt  and  John  Taylor  exercised  general  supervision  of  the 
emigrants,  who  were  directed  by  the  committee  appointed  for 
this  purpose.  There  were  all  told  about  560  wagons,  1,553 
men,  women  and  children,  with  about  5,000  head  of  stock. 
John  Young  was  the  general  commander,  with  John  Van  Cott, 
marshal.  Then  there  were  four  captains  of  hundreds — Daniel 
Spencer,  Edward  Hunter,  Jedediah  M.  Grant,  Abraham  O. 
Smoot — with  sub-captains  and  divisions  of  "fifties"  and  "tens;" 
also  an  "artillery  company"  under  General  C.  C.  Rich.  Among 
the  many  prominent  founders  of  Utah  who  were  along  with 
these  camps  may  be  named  George  Q.  Cannon  (then  a  youth  of 
twenty),  Eliza  R.  Snow,  John  Smith  (who  on  October  3  fol- 
lowing was  sustained  as  President  of  the  Salt  Lake  stake), 
LorinFair,  the  Thatchers,  Samuel  and  JohnBennion,  William 
Hyde,  Jacob  Gates,  William  W.  Riter,  William  C.  Staines, 
Jesse  N.  Smith,  Chauncey  W.  West,  Hairison  Sperry,  Jesse 
N.  Smith,  Joseph  C.  Kingsbury,  Elijah  F.  Sheets  and  others. 

The  Saints  left  the  Elk  Horn  in  two  companies — on  the 
18th  of  June  and  the  4th  of  July.  Their  progress  was  hindered 
by  stampedes  and  the  loss  of  cattle ;  and  they  had  some  trouble 
with  the  Indians.  There  were  six  or  seven  deaths  and  a  num- 
ber of  births  on  the  journey.  Their  meetings  with  the  pioneers 
were  occasions  of  great  rejoicings.  On  the  Sweetwater,  a  grand 
feast  was  held  in  honor  of  President  Young,  at  the  instance  of 
Elder  Taylor  and  Bishop  Hunter.  Important  councils  were 
held  at  various  times,  and  the  Saints,  who  now  learned  for  the 
first  time  where  their  distination  was,  were  cheered  and  en- 
couraged by  the  returning  pioneers. 


*Says  Wilford  Woodruff:  "We  have  traveled  with  heavily  laden  wagons  more  than  a 
thousand  miles,  over  rough  roads,  mountains  and  canyons,  searching  out  a  land,  a  resting 
place  for  the  Saints.  We  have  laid  out  a  city  two  miles  square,  and  Duilt  a  fort  of  hewn 
timber  drawn  seven  miles  from  the  mountains,  and  of  sun-dried  bricks  and  adobes,  sur- 
rounding ten  acres  of  ground,  forty  rods  of  which  is  covered  with  block  houses,  besides 
planting  about  ten  acres  of  corn  and  vegetables.  All  this  we  have  done  in  a  single  month." 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  93 

In  the  latter  part  of  September,  the  companies  began 
arriving  in  the  Valley,  and  before  the  middle  of  October  all 
the  trains  had  reached  the  journey's  end  in  safety. 

Reaching  Winter  Quarters  on  the  31st  of  October,  the  re- 
turning brethren,  many  of  whom  had  not  seen  their  families 
since  the  eventful  July  16,  1846,  when  they  parted  with  them 
at  their  country's  call,  were  warmly  greeted  by  their  friends 
and  loved  ones. 

5.     Migration  of  the  Main  Body  West. 

There  were  now  two  stakes  of  Zion — one  on  the  Missouri, 
which  continued  to  be  the  headquarters,  owing  to  the  presence 
of  President  Young  and  most  of  the  Twelve,  and  one  on  the 
borders  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  in  the  midst  of  the  mountains. 
A  thousand  miles  apart,  separated  but  united,  cheerful  but 
struggling  still  with  hardships  and  ever-recurring  new  difficul- 
ties, the  Saints  spent  the  winter  of  1847-8. 

In  Winter  Quarters,  they  had  prospered  abundantly. 
True,  there  had  been  some  sickness  and  deaths,  but  the  climate 
was  much  improved.  On  the  whole,  health,  abiding  peace,  and 
good  will  prevailed  among  the  faithful  inhabitants.  In  con- 
tentment and  quiet,  the  winter  passed  away,  preparations  being 
eagerly  made  for  the  contemplated  migration  in  the  spring. 
During  these  days  the  leaders  often  met  in  counsel  and  were 
instructed  by  President  Young  in  subjects  pertaining  to 
the  task  of  the  migration  which  lay  before  them;  these  consisted 
of  dissertations  on  religion,  doctrine  and  moral  conduct,  as 
well  as  details  of  travel,  irrigation,  needs  and  requirements  on 
the  road,  and  on  arrival  in  the  new  and  then  unknown  home. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  at  a  council  of  the  apostles,  it 
was  decided  to  organize  the  First  Presidency,  vacant  since  the 
martyrdom  of  the  Prophet.  Brigham  Young,  the  chief  apostle, 
was  then  chosen  President  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  The  action  of  the  Twelve  was  ratified  at 
a  conference  of  the  Church  on  the  27th,  and  on  the  8th  of 
October  the  following  year  was  confirmed  by  a  conference  at 
Great  Salt  Lake  City.  The  apostles  also  Issued  a  general 
epistle,  calling  upon  the  Saints  to  gather  to  the  new  Zion  in  the 


94  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

mountains,  and  upon  all  "presidents,  and  emperors,  and  kings 
and  princes,  and  nobles  and  governors,  and  rulers,  and  judges, 
and  all  nations  and  kindreds,  tongues  and  people  under  the 
whole  heaven,  to  come  and  help  us  to  build  a  house  to  the  name 
of  the  God  of  Jacob,  a  place  of  peace,  a  city  of  rest,  a  habita- 
tion for  the  oppressed  of  every  clime."* 

The  seventeen  hundred  souls  who  dwelt  in  Great  Salt 
Lake  City  passed  through  the  season  enjoying  moderate  com- 
fort under  the  circumstances.**  The  winter  was  mild  with 
but  little  snow.  On  October  3,  after  theii  arrival,  the  first 
stake  organization  was  completed.  Father  John  Smith,  presi- 
dent; Charles  C.  Rich  and  John  Young,  counselors.  A  High 
Council  was  also  organized.  Tarleton  Lewis  was  chosen  bishop. 
Some  of  the  Battalion  men,  returning  from  California,  brought 
wheat,  corn,  potatoes  and  garden  seed,  while  more  seeds,  also 
live  stock,  were  subsequently  imported  by  settlers  who  visited 
the  coast.  In  the  spring,  wild  sego  and  parsnip  roots,  and  later 
thistle  tops,  constituted  the  vegetable  diet.  Their  beef  had  been 
very  poor.  Dissecting  some  of  it,  at  one  time,  Elder  Taylor, 
of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  suggested  that  the  saw  be  greased 
to  make  it  work.  In  some  instances,  skins  served  in  lieu  of 
clothing.  Catamounts,  wolves,  foxes,  mice,  and  bedbugs  each 
contributed  to  make  matters  unpleasant  for  the  new  settlers. 

The  most  serious  plague,  however,  was  yet  to  come.  It 
was  the  crickets.  Appearing  in  May  and  June,  1848,  black 
legions  of  these  pests  invaded  the  fields  and  gardens,  literally 
sweeping  the  earth  clean  wherever  they  passed.  All  the  efforts 
of  the  settlers,  who,  living  upon  sego  roots  and  thistles,  fought 
with  the  desperation  of  souls  who  have  starvation  staring  them 
in  the  face,  to  save  their  crops  were  unavailing.  There  seemed 
to  be  no  help.  The  harvest  would  go,  and  with  it  the  lives 
dependent  upon  it!  At  this  critical  time,  immense  flocks  of 
gulls  came  from  the  islands  of  the  lake  to  feast  upon  the  crick- 
ets. All  day  they  ate,  gorged,  vomited,  then  feasted  again, 
returning  each  day,  until  the  cricket  foe  was  vanquished.  The 
thankful  and  astonished  settlers  looked  on  in  wonder,  praising 
God  that  through  a  manifestation  of  his  providence  they  were 

*See  Millennial  Star,  Vol.  10,  p.  81. 

**They  dwelt  in  423  houses,  had  5,133  acres  of  cultivated  land   and  875  acres  sown 
with  winter  wheat. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  95 

saved!  It  is  not  strange  that  to  this  day  the  gull  is  a  sacred 
bird  among  the  Saints.  In  memory  of  their  service  to  the  un- 
daunted pioneer,  the  children  of  the  new  State  of  Utah,  should 
ever  hold  in  loving  reverence  the  gull  and  the  sego  lily.  * 

On  the  10th  day  of  August,  the  settlers  celebrated  their 
first  harvest  home.  "Large  sheaves  of  wheat,"  says  Parley 
P.  Pratt,  "rye,  barley,  oats  and  other  productions  were  hoisted 
on  poles  for  public  exhibition,  and  there  was  prayer  and  thanks- 
giving,, congratulations,  songs,  speeches,  music,  dancing,  smiling 
faces,  and  merry  hearts."  Some  of  the  Battalion  men,  who  had 
remained  at  woik  in  California,  returning,  increased  the  popu- 
lation to  about  1,800  souls.  They  were  among  the  first  to  dis- 
cover the  gold  fields  which  were  soon  to  set  aflame  the  civilized 
world.  Some  of  the  dust  they  brought  with  them  to  the  valley. 

Turning  now  to  the  Missouri,  we  find  that  early  in  1848, 
active  operations  were  engaged  in  to  migrate  the  main  body  of 
the  Church  to  the  mountains.  Winter  Quarters  would  shortly 
be  vacated.  Desiring  an  outfitting  post  in  the  East,  the  "Mor- 
mon" leaders  petitioned  the  legislature  of  Iowa  for  the  organ- 
ization of  Pottawatomie  county,  and  built  the  town  of  Kanes- 
ville,  east  of  the  river  a  few  miles  above  the  present  city  of 
Council  Bluffs.  At  this  place,  for  several  years,  their  emigra- 
tions were  equipped  for  the  journeys  over  the  plains.  Coming 
from  Europe  they  sailed  up  the  rivers  from  New  Orleans.  The 
first  river-route  company  came  under  direction  of  Elder  Frank- 
lin D.  Richards,  landing  in  Winter  Quarters  a  short  time  before 
the  first  company  of  that  year  started  for  the  mountains. 

In  preparation  of  the  approaching  departure,  on  Sunday, 
May  14,  President  Young  publicly  pronounced  blessings  upon 


*On  October  1,  1913,  a  monument,  said  to  be  the  first  bird  monument  in  the  world, 
was  dedicated  by  President  Joseph  F.  Smith,  on  the  Temple  Block  grounds  of  Salt  Lake 
City.  It  was  unveiled  by  Emmeline  B.  Wells,  president  of  the  Relief  Society  of  the  Church, 
and  is  the  work  of  Mahonri  M.  Young,  a  grandson  of  the  great  Pioneer,  and  an  associate 
member  of  the  National  Academy  of  Design,  New  York.  In  unveiling  the  monument, 
Mrs.  Wells  said:  "It  is  a  poetic  coincidence  that  our  idea  of  national  freedom  from  op- 
pression, and  our  idea  of  state  deliverance  from  starvation,  should  be  represented  by  birds. 
The  eagle,  majestic  monarch  of  the  air,  is  represented  on  shield,  and  coin,  and  tablet  of 
bronze,  all  over  the  broad  land.  The  gentle  gull,  humble  habitant  of  the  shores  of  our 
Great  Salt  Sea,  has  found  shrine  heretofore  only  in  the  grateful  memories  of  this  valley's 
pioneers  and  decendants.  My  heart  swells  with  thanksgiving  that  we  are  now  to  preserve 
in  sculptural  art  the  miraculous  incident,  we  all  know  so  well;  and  I  now  have  the  honor 
to  unveil  this  beautiful  monument  to  the  eye  and  admiration  of  grateful  thousands  now 
living,  and  of  untold  thousands  yet  to  come." — Improvement  Era,  November,  1913,  pp. 
65-73,  contains  an  extended  account  of  the  event. 


96  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

those  who  were  going  with  him  to  the  valley,  as  well  as  upon 
those  who  were  to  remain.  On  this  occasion,  he  prophesied 
that  the  Saints  would  never  be  driven  from  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. On  the  24th,  he  led  out  for  the  Elk  Horn,  where  the 
companies  were  thoroughly  organized.*  They  began  their 
westward  travels  about  the  beginning  of  June.  There  were 
three  companies — Brigham  Young,  who  had  general  command 
of  all  of  them  (Daniel  H.  Wells,  his  aide-de-camp,  and  H.  S. 
Eldridge,  marshal),  came  first  with  1,229  souls,  and  397  wagons; 
Heber  C.  Kimball,  with  662  souls  and  226  wagons;  Willard 
Richards,  with  526  souls  and  169  wagons.**  When  the  last 
wagon  left,  on  the  3rd  of  July,  Winter  Quarters  was  almost 
deserted.  With  this  emigration  were  such  famous  men  in 
Utah  history  as  Lorenzo  Snow,  Franklin  D.  Richards,  Joseph 
F.  Smith,  Newel  K.  Whitney,  Robert  T.  Burton,  Hosea  Stout, 
and  many  others.  Several  of  the  apostles  who  were  to  go  on 
missions  remained  in  Kanesville,  where,  on  February  7,  1849, 
Orson  Hyde  began  the  publication  of  the  Frontier  Guardian. 

The  companies  all  followed  in  the  route  of  the  Pioneers. 
President  Young  arrived  in  Great  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  20th 
of  September,  1848,  and  within  a  month  all  the  trains  had 
safely  entered  the  valley.  Their  presence  swelled  the  popula- 
tion to  5,000  souls. 

The  Church  was  now  in  the  "Great  American  Desert," 
led  thither  under  the  inspired  direction  of  Brigham  Young,  one 
of  the  greatest  colonizers  our  country  has  ever  known.  It  was 
a  desolate  abiding  place,  shunned  by  all  who  passed  because 
of  its  sterility.  It  was  the  most  inhospitable  and  forbidding 
portion  of  the  vast  western  region  of  which  the  great  statesman, 
Daniel  Webster,  said:  "What  do  we  want  with  this  vast,  worth- 
less area?  This  region  of  savages  and  wild  beasts,  of  deserts, 
of  shifting  sands  and  whirlwinds  of  dust,  of  cactus  and  prairie 
dogs?  To  what  use  could  we  ever  hope  to  put  these  great 


*"To  those  who  met  them  on  the  route,  the  strict  order  of  their  march,  their  coolness 
and  rapidity  in  closing  ranks  to  repel  assaults,  their  method  in  posting  sentries  around  camp 
and  corral,  suggested  rather  the  movement  of  a  well-organized  army  than  the  migration 
of  a  people;  and  in  truth,  few  armies  have  been  better  organized  or  more  ably  led  than 
was  this  army  of  the  Lord.'' — Bancroft's  "History  of  Utah,"  p.  284. 

**There  were  besides  in  all  the  companies,  2,012  oxen,  983  cows,  131  horses.  116  mules, 
634  sheep,  334  loose  cattle,  33?  pigs,  904  chickens  184  dogs,  54  oa.ts,  3  goats,  1  goose,  5 
ducks,  11  doves,  1  squirrel,  5  hives  of  bees,, 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  97 

deserts,  or  those  endless  mountain  ranges,  impenetrable,  and 
covered  to  their  very  base  with  eternal  snow?" 

Yet,  in  the  heart  of  this  domain,  the  exiled  Latter-day 
Saints  chose  to  build  their  homes.  They  loved  it  because  of 
its  promise  of  liberty;  because  of  the  freedom  that  encircled 
them.  By  arduous  toil  and  the  blessings  of  God,  they  have 
built  their  numerous  thrifty  cities,  subdued  the  sandy  desert, 
made  a  garden  of  the  wilderness,  and  expanded  over  its  distant 
borders  to  plant  their  settlements  in  many  surrounding  states. 

6.     Colonization. 

To  obtain  pasturage  for  their  stock,  several  of  the  pioneers, 
soon  after  their  arrival,  pressed  north,  founding  the  settlements 
in  what  is  now  Davis  county.*  These  new  places  continued  to 
thrive,  and  before  the  close  of  1848  there  were  colonies  near 
the  present  Bountiful,  Kaysville,  Farmington,  and  in  other 
places.  In  January  of  that  year  Captain  James  Brown  pur- 
chased the  Miles  Goodyear  claim  which  included  the  present 
site  of  Ogden  City,  and  the  greater  portion  of  Weber  county. 

These  movements  to  occupy  the  land  were  made  agreeable 
to  the  instructions  of  President  Young,  and  were  a  part  of  his 
grand  scheme  to  colonize  the  mountain  region  with  his  people. 
Upon  his  arrival,  in  September,  1848,  this  matter  was  upper- 
most in  his  mind,  but  he  found  that  the  first  great  question  to 
be  solved  was  how  to  husband  the  short  supply  of  food.  The 
crops  were  not  so  abundant  that  there  would  be  sufficient  for 
the  now  increased  population.  The  new  companies  had  brought 
only  little  with  them.  As  a  result,  before  a  new  harvest,  there 
was  great  scarcity  of  food,  much  privation  and  suffering  among 
the  people,  which,  however,  were  materially  alleviated  by  the 
spirit  of  kindness,  oneness  and  helpfulness  that  prevailed.** 
In  community  fashion  the  needy  were  helped  by  those  who  had 
supplies.  To  add  to  their  misfortunes,  the  winter  of  1848-9 
was  very  severe. 


*So  named  after  Captain  D.  C.  Davis  of  the  Mormon  Battalion,  who  settled  near 
the  present  site  of  Farmington. 

**"Roots  had  to  be  dug  from  the  ground  for  food,  raw  hides  were  torn  down  from  roofs, 
cut  into  shreds  and  cooked.  Very  little  game  was  found  near  the  city;  some  fish  were  ob- 
tained."— Contributor,  Vol.  2,  p.  176. 


98  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

« 

It  was  while  the  people  were  thus  distressed  that  Heber 
C.  Kimball  prophesied  that  within  three  years  "States  goods" 
would  be  sold  cheaper  in  Salt  Lake  Valley  than  in  New  York. 
His  prophetic  utterance  found  remarkable  fulfilment  when  the 
adventurous  gold  hunters  from  all  parts  of  the  earth  made 
Salt  Lake  their  "half -way  house,"  leaving  their  merchandise, 
provisions  and  implements,  with  the  destitute  settlers  in  ex- 
change for  animals  to  carry  them  more  hurriedly  to  their 
destination.  This  was  in  1849,  and  when  the  settlers  grandly 
celebrated  the  second  aniversary  of  their  arrival  into  the  Valley, 
the  prophecy  uttered  the  year  previous  was  being  fulfilled.  At 
the  grand  feast,  hundreds  of  west-bound  emigrants  dined  with 
the  happy  Saints.  But  even  this  manifestation  of  divine  pro- 
vision was  not  enough  to  prevent  some  of  the  Saints  from  con- 
tracting the  gold  fever.  It  took  the  best  efforts  and  the  wisest 
judgment  of  their  leaders  to  intercept  the  threatened  general 
migration  to  the  golden  west,  which  would  have  been  then  as 
great  a  calamity  as  could  have  befallen  the  Church. 

The  people  were  stirred  to  activity.  In  the  fall  of  1848, 
five  thousand  acres  of  land  were  plotted  for  fencing  and  cul- 
tivation, over  eight  hundred  were  sowed  in  winter  wheat.  The 
council  house  was  projected,  roads  were  constructed,  grist  and 
saw  mills  were  erected,  bridges  built,  and  a  proposition  was 
made  to  bring  the  waters  of  the  Big  Cottonwood  to  the  city. 
Lots  were  distributed  to  the  settlers,  some  of  whom,  moving 
out  of  the  "Fcrt,"  settled  upon  these.  To  obviate  the  incon- 
venience of  a  lack  of  circulating  medium,  pending  the  procur- 
ing of  a  stamp  to  coin  the  gold  dust  brought  by  the  Battalion 
men,  a  paper  currency  was  issued  in  January,  1849.  Fifty- 
cent  and  one-dollar  bills,  upon  which  the  first  printing  in  the 
Valley  was  done,  were  stamped;  and  a  resolution  was  passed 
placing  certain  Kirtland  Bank  Bills  in  circulation,  thus  making 
these  notes  as  good  as  gold  in  fulfilment  of  a  prophecy  to  that 
effect  by  the  Prophet  Joseph.  Later,  the  gold  dust  was  coined 
into  $2.50,  $5,  $10  and  $20  pieces  which  were  used  until  super- 
seded by  legal  tender,  when  they  were  disposed  of  as  bullion 
to  the  Federal  mints, 

Keeping  constantly  in  view  their  religious  duties  in  the 
midst  of  their  temporal  labors,  the  organizations  of  the  Church 
were  never  neglected.  On  February  12,  1849,  the  quorum  of 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  99 

Twelve  was  filled  by  the  calling  and  ordination  of  Charles  C. 
Rich,  Lorenzo  Snow,  Erastus  Snow  and  Franklin  D.  Richards 
to  the  apostleship.  A  permanent  stake  organization  was  also 
perfected,  and  the  city  was  divided  into  nineteen  ecclesiastical 
wards  with  a  bishop  over  each.  The  gathering  was  not  for- 
gotten. In  1849,  there  were  about  thirty  thousand  Saints  in 
Great  Britain,  ten  thousand  of  whom  had  joined  the  Church 
in  the  past  fifteen  months.  To  assist  in  redeeming  the  country, 
as  well  as  to  carry  out  the  commands  of  God,  it  was  desirable 
that  these  should  be  brought  to  the  mountains.  For  the  pur- 
pose of  aiding  the  poor  among  them  to  migrate,  the  Perpetual 
Emigrating  Fund  was  established  in  October.  A  large  sum  of 
money  was  obtained  for  this  fund  which  was  kept  in  operation 
thereafter  for  upwards  of  forty  years,  and  was  the  means  of 
assisting  thousands  to  emigrate  from  the  poverty  of  the  Old 
World  to  the  better  surroundings  of  the  New.  Bishop  Edward 
Hunter  was  sent  to  the  frontier  to  put  its  provisions  into  opera- 
tion, and  to  take  charge  of  the  next  season's  emigration.  At 
the  same  time  many  prominent  elders  were  called  to  go  to 
various  parts  of  the  earth  on  missions.  They  opened  the  Gospel 
door  in  France,  Scandinavia,  Italy,  Lower  California  and  in 
the  Society  Islands,  or  were  sent  to  other  regions  to  continue 
the  work  of  promulgation.  The  first  company  brought  across 
the  plains  by  the  Emigrating  Company  arrived  in  Salt  Lake 
on  the  13th  of  October,  1850. 

Colonization  continued.  What  is  now  Utah,  Sanpete 
and  Tooele  counties,  were  explored  and  settled,  also  Sevier, 
Iron  and  other  southern  counties.  Later  followed  exploring 
parties  and  colonies  to  all  parts  of  the  territory.  In  each  of 
these,  the  various  crafts  were  represented.  They  provided 
themselves  with  plenty  of  provisions,  stocks,  implements  and 
other  necessaries.  They  were  generally  composed  of  volunteers, 
and  were  sent  out  by  the  great  colonizer,  Brigham  Young,  under 
proper  ecclesiastical  organization.  Until  the  introduction  of  a 
regular  civil  government,  the  Church  officers  held  secular  or 
temporal  administration  over  the  people.  The  public  labors 
were  performed  under  their  direction,  they  were  the  judges 
among  the  people,  and  under  their  supervision  and  advice 
went  on  the  great  work  of  founding  and  building  cities,  of 
redeeming  the  desert.  Marvelous  indeed  are  the  labors  of 


100  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

these  empire  founders.  At  present,  they  and  their  children 
occupy  the  country  extending  for  over  a  thousand  miles  from 
Mexico  to  Canada,  and  their  numerous  thrifty  cities  and 
villages  are  found  in  the  valleys  of  the  mountains  in  nearly 
every  state  and  territory  of  the  mighty  West.  The  Saints  are 
the  remnants  of  Israel  gathered  out  from  the  coasts  of  the  earth, 
and  truly  God  hath  wrought  through  them  "a  marvelous  work 
and  a  wonder." 

7.     Utah  Territory  Organized — Events  Following. 

Up  to  the  spring  of  1849,  when  the  political  history  of 
Utah  properly  begins,  the  settlers  had  been  governed  exclusive- 
ly by  the  excellent  ecclesiastical  organizations.  There  had 
been  little  need  and  less  time  for  civil  government,  but  as  emi- 
grants of  other  faiths  began  to  come  into  their  midst,  there 
was  a  desire  among  the  leaders  of  the  people  to  come  in  under 
the  folds  of  the  Union,  as  indeed  there  had  been  from  the  be- 
ginning, notwithstanding  they  had  been  driven  by  fanatics  and 
outlaws  of  our  nation  to  a  foreign  country. 

By  the  treaty  of  Gaudalupe  Hildalgo,  signed  February  2, 
1848,  the  United  States  had  come  into  the  possession  of  the 
vast  western  region  from  which  was  afterward  formed  the 
states  and  territories  of  California,  Nevada,  Utah,  New  Mex- 
ico and  Arizona.  The  Saints  were  well  nigh  the  only  occupants 
of  the  new  domain,  and  they  were  hopeful  and  energetic 
enough  to  believe  that  in  time  they  could  subdue  and  occupy 
the  country  which  they  had  assisted  in  wresting  from  Mexico, 
and  opened  up  to  civilization. 

With  a  view  of  introducing  civil  government  to  this  area, 
early  in  March,  1849,  a  convention  was  called  of  "all  the  citizens 
of  that  part  of  Upper  California  lying  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
mountains,  to  take  into  consideration  the  propriety  of  organiz- 
ing a  territorial  or  state  government."  This  convention  as- 
sembled in  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  4th  of  March.  A  memorial, 
signed  by  Brigham  Young  and  2,270  others,  was  sent  to  Con- 
gress, as  a  result  of  this  convention,  on  April  30,  asking  for  a 
"territorial  government  of  the  most  liberal  construction  au- 
thorized by  our  most  excellent  federal  constitution,  with  the 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  101 

least  possible  delay,"  which  was  carried  to  Washington  by 
Dr.  J.  M.  Bernhisel. 

At  the  convention,  a  committee  was  also  selected  to  draft 
a  constitution  under  which  the  people  might  govern  themselves, 
until  Congress  should  take  action  and  otherwise  provide  by 
law.  On  the  10th  of  March,  the  constitution  was  adopted  and 
a  Provisional  Government  was  organized  under  the  name  of 
the  State  of  Deseret.  A  legislature,  or  General  Assembly  of 
the  State  of  Deseret,  consisting  of  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, was  also  elected  with  powers  and  duties  defined. 
Brigham  Young  was  elected  Governor.*  Under  this  form  of 
government  purely  "Mormon,"  and  not  yet  sanctioned  by  the 
authority  of  Congress,  the  new  state  was  governed  for  nearly 
two  years.  Justice  was  equitably  administered  to  all — both 
non-"Mormon"  and  "Mormon,"  and  the  decisions  of  the 
courts,  constantly  appealed  to  by  passing  emigrants,  were  re- 
markable for  fairness  and  impartiality.** 

On  July  2,  1849,  the  General  Assembly  of  Deseret  met  at 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  by  joint  agreement  of  its  two  houses,  it 
was  decided  to  pray  for  the  admission  of  Deseret  as  a  state  of 
the  Union.  A  new  memorial  was  consequently  then  prepared. 
Almon  W.  Babbit  was  elected  delegate  to  Congress,  and  was 
sent  to  Washington,  bearing  the  memorial  and  the  constitution 
of  the  proposed  state.  Mr.  Babbit  presented  his  documents  to 
Congress,  with  his  credentials  as  delegate  from  the  Provisional 
State  of  Deseret,  through  Senator  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  on  the 
27th  of  December  of  that  year;  but  his  petition  was  denied, 
and  he  was,  of  course,  not  admitted  to  Congress.  Instead, 
after  a  delay  of  nine  months,  Congress  passed  a  bill  entitled, 
"An  act  to  establish  a  territorial  government  for  Utah,"  pro- 
viding for  the  organization  of  Utah  Territory,  which  was  signed 
by  President  Millard  Fillmore,  and  went  into  force  on  the  9th 
of  September,  1850.  The  President  appointed  officers  for  the 

*Willard  Richards,  secretary;  Horace  S.  Eldredge,  marshal;  Daniel  H.  Wells.attorney- 
general;  besides  an  assessor  and  collector,  a  treasurer,  and  supervisor  of  roads;  also  three 
judges — Heber  C.  Kimball,  chief  justice,  and  John  Taylor  and  Newel  K.  Whitney,  associ- 
ates. The  Bishops  of  the  several  wards  were  elected  as  magistrates. 

**So  testified  Captain  Howard  Stansbury,  of  the  U.  S.  Army  Corps  of  Topographical 
Engineers,  who  came  to  Salt  Lake  City,  on  the  28th  of  August,  1849,  wintered  there,  and 
remained  with  his  expedition  in  the  Territory  for  a  whole  year,  exploring  and  surveying 
the  Valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  also  Utah  Lake  and  its  vicinity,  also  a  route  from  the 
valley  to  Fort  Hall.  His  widely  circulated  report  to  the  Government  is  authority  through- 
out the  world  in  relation  to  Utah  and  the  people  who  reclaimed  it  from  a  desert. 


102  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Territory,  as  follows:  Brigham  Young,  Governor;  B.  D.  Harris, 
Secretary;  Joseph  Buffington,  Chief  Justice;  Perry  C.  Brocchus 
and  Zerubbabel  Snow,  Associate  Justices;  Seth  M.  Blair, 
Attorney;  and  Joseph  L.  Hey  wood,  Marshal. 

The  news  of  the  organization  of  the  Territory  and  the 
appointment  of  the  Governor  and  other  officers  did  not  reach 
the  valley  until  January  27,  1851,  being  even  then  unofficially 
conveyed  by  way  of  San  Francisco,  through  New  York  news- 
papers which  were  brought  to  Salt  Lake  by  Mr.  Henry  E. 
Gibson. 

On  the  5th  of  April,  1851,  Governor  Young,  who  had  taken 
the  oath  of  office  on  the  3rd  of  February,  dissolved  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  State  of  Deseret,  and  thus  changed  the  pro- 
visional to  the  territorial  form  of  government,  merging  the 
State  into  the  Territory  of  Utah. 

Among  the  more  important  of  the  many  acts  of  the  Pro- 
visional Assembly,  afterward  made  legal  by  the  territorial 
legislature,  may  be  mentioned  the  creation  of  Salt  Lake,  Weber, 
Utah,  Sanpete,  Juab  and  Tooele  counties,  and  the  granting  of 
a  charter  to  the  University  of  Deseret  in  the  winter  of  1849-50; 
the  passing  of  acts  incorporating  Salt  Lake  City  (January  9), 
Ogden  City,  the  city  of  Manti,  Provo  City  and  Parowan  City 
(February  6),  and  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  (February  8),  in  1851. 

On  the  first  Monday  of  August,  1851,  an  election  was  held, 
at  which  were  chosen  a  legislature  and  a  Delegate  to  Congress, 
Dr.  Bernhisel,  who  was  the  first  to  represent  Utah  in  that  body. 

With  the  arrival  of  Judge  Brocchus,  in  August,  all  the 
federal  judges  were  in  the  territory,  and  had  been  assigned  by 
the  Governor  to  their  districts.  Judge  Brocchus  (who  was 
appointed  with  Secretary  Harris  and  Judge  Brandebury  in- 
stead of  Mr.  Buffington,  declined),  soon  became  dissatisfied 
with  his  position,  being  doubtless  disappointed  in  not  being 
elected  by  the  "Mormons"  to  Congress.  The  result  of  this 
disaffection  was  a  breach,  which  was  a  beginning  of  the  long 
controversy  between  the  Federal  judges  and  the  Latter-day 
Saints. 

Being  invited  to  speak  at  a  public  meeting  early  in  Septem- 
ber, Judge  Brocchus  shamefully  abused  the  people  and  their 
institutions.  He  was  severely  rebuked  by  President  Young. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  103 

Not  long  after  this  episode,  the  Secretary  and  the  two  Judges 
informed  the  Governor  that  they  would  return  to  Washington. 
They  did  so  on  September  28,  carrying  with  them  the  territorial 
seal,  records  and  'documents,  as  well  as  $24,000  appropriated 
by  Congress  for  the  per  diem  of  the  legislature.  These  "run- 
away judges  and  secretary,"  by  which  sobriquet  they  became 
known,  made  their  report  to  the  proper  national  officials,  and 
falsely  asserted  that  they  were  forced  to  leave  Utah  on  account 
of  the  lawless  acts  and  seditious  tendencies  of  Governor  Brig- 
ham  Young  and  the  majority  of  the  citizens.  Their  scheme 
to  create  trouble  for  the  Saints  did  not  succeed,  however,  as 
they  had  expected,  for  they  were  forced  to  retire,  the  Presi- 
dent appointing  in  their  stead,  on  the  15th  of  August,  1852, 
Lazarus  H.  Reed,  chief  justice,  with  Leonidas  Shaver,  asso- 
ciate, and  Benjamin  G.  Farris,  of  anti-"Mormon"  book  fame, 
secretary.  The  vacancies  in  the  meantime  were  temporarily 
filled  by  gubernatorial  appointment,  a  full  explanation  being 
rendered  to  the  President  of  the  United  States.  The  next 
Federal  officials  were  Chief  Justice  John  F.  Kinney,  appointed 
August  24,  1854;  Associate  Justice  George  P.  Stiles,  August 
1,  1854;  Judge  W.  W.  Drummond,  September  12,  1854.  The 
latter  two  became  chiefly  instrumental  in  bringing  about  the 
"Utah  War." 

While  these  political  changes  were  being  made,  other  more 
important  events  were  transpiring  among  the  people  of  Utah. 
Desiring  a  closer  association  with  the  other  citizens  of  the 
Union,  the  Governor  and  Legislative  Assembly,  as  early  as 
March  3,  1852,  memorialized  Congress  for  the  construction  of 
a  national  central  railroad  to  the  Pacific  coast,  also  for  a  tele- 
graph line,  setting  forth  among  other  things  as  their  reasons  for 
this  desire  "that  the  immense  emigration  to  and  from  the 
Pacific  requires  the  immediate  attention,  guardian  care  and 
fostering  assistance  of  the  greatest  and  most  libeial  govern- 
ment on  the  face  of  the  earth."  "That  an  eligible  route  can 
be  obtained — that  the  mineral  resources  of  California  and  these 
mountains  can  never  be  fully  developed  to  the  benefit  of  the 
people  of  the  United  States  without  the  construction  of  such 
a  road;  and  upon  its  completion  the  entire  trade  of  China  and 
the  East  Indies  will  pass  through  the  heart  of  the  Union, 
thereby  giving  our  citizens  almost  the  control  of  the  Asiatic 


104  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

and  Pacific  trade,  pouring  into  the  lap  of  the  American  States 
the  millions  that  are  now  diverted  through  other  commercial 
channels."  Again,  in  Governor  Young's  message  to  the  legis- 
lature, in  1853,  he  urges  the  necessity  of  a  national  iron  high- 
way, and  calls  attention  to  the  importance  of  properly  pre- 
senting the  matter  before  Congress.  A  great  mass  meeting  was 
accordingly  held  in  January,  1854,  in  which  the  people  took 
steps  to  further  memorialize  Congress  for  the  construction  of 
a  railway  via  Salt  Lake  City  to  the  Pacific.  But  other  petitions 
were  necessary,  and  over  fifteen  years  were  to  elapse  before 
the  iron  horse  should  awake  the  echoes  in  their  mountain  re- 
treat. 

With  the  arrival  of  fresh  emigrants,  the  growth  and  ex- 
tension of  the  cities  and  villages  continued,  until  there  was  a 
chain  of  thirty  "Mormon"  settlements  from  Bear  River,  on 
the  north,  to  the  rim  of  the  Great  Basin,  on  the  south,  and  to 
the  east  and  west  of  Salt  Lake  City.  Public  buildings  and  stores 
were  erected,  coal  and  iron  mines  developed,  grist  and  saw 
mills  were  busy  in  all  parts.  Encouraged  by  legislative  ap- 
propriation and  protection,  home  manufacturing  establish- 
ments sprang  up  in  various  places.  Ten  thousand  dollars  of 
the  territorial  revenue  of  something  over  twenty-six  thousand, 
were  expended  for  fostering  infant  industries,  for  surveys, 
roads  and  bridges  and  for  educational  purposes.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  among  the  "Mormon"  colonizeis,  the  school 
house  was  the  first  public  building  to  be  erected  in  every  settle- 
ment. 

On  April  6,  1853,  the  corner  stone  of  the  great  Temple  at 
Salt  Lake  City  was  laid,  ground  having  been  broken  for  the 
foundation  on  the  14th  of  February  previous.  It  was  dedi- 
cated forty  years  later,  April  6,  1893,  and  has  been  pronounced 
"a  structure  unsurpassed  if  not  unequaled  for  beauty  and  sub- 
limity by  any  other  edifice  in  America." 

At  the  October  conference,  1853,  many  were  called  to 
strengthen  the  settlements  in  Iron,  Tooele,  Sanpete,  Box  Elder 
and  Juab  counties. 

As  a  rule  only  little  trouble  was  experienced  with  the 
Indians,  owing  chiefly  to  the  wise  course  adopted  by  President 
Young  in  treating  them.  His  life-long  policy  toward  the  red 
men,  which  has  saved  much  property  and  many  lives  in  Utah, 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  105 

is  embodied  in  this  utterance  of  his  which  he  ever  put  faith- 
fully into  practice  as  a  private  individual,  as  Governor  and 
Government  Indian  Agent,  and  as  President  of  the  Church: 
"It  is  cheaper  to  feed  the  Indians  than  to  fight  them."  But 
their  treatment  under  these  conditions,  and  with  the  careful 
diplomacy  of  the  great  "Mormon"  leader,  did  not  entirely 
prevent  conflicts  with  them.  The  first  troubles  occurred  in 
1850-1,  then  followed  a  period  of  peace  until  1853,  when  the 
Ute  war  broke  out,  instigated  doubtless  by  Mexican  traders, 
who  came  to  Utah  and  supplied  the  Indians  with  firearms, 
ammunition,  horses,  etc.,  taking  in  exchange  Indian  women 
and  children,  who  were  subsequently  sold  into  slavery.  Gover- 
nor Young  proclaimed  against  this  traffic,  which  displeased  both 
traders  and  Indians.  Passing  emigrants  also  did  much  injury 
by  shooting  Indians  without  cause.  In  the  spring  of  1854, 
the  trouble  was  ended  in  a  treaty  of  peace.  As  a  result  of  the 
conflict,  about  twenty  whites  and  a  large  number  of  Indians 
were  killed,  while  the  people  and  the  territory  together  suffered 
a  loss  of  about  $300,000. 

The  chief  item  of  religious  interest  was  the  public  avowal 
of  polygamy,  at  a  conference  of  the  Church  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
August  29,  1852.  Plural  marriage,  included  in  the  doctrine  of 
celestial  marriage,  was  practiced  long  before  this  time  by  the 
Saints  in  Nauvoo,  Winter  Quarters,  and  also  in  Utah.  It  was 
first  made  known  to  Joseph  Smith,  the  Prophet,  in  1831; 
and  in  Nauvoo,  in  1841,  was  introduced  by  him  to  a  number  of 
leading  elders,  and  practiced  by  them  and  the  Prophet.* 
The  revelation  on  celestial  marriage  was  recorded  July  12, 
1843.**  Celestial  marriage  may,  but  does  not  necessarily, 
include  a  plurality  of 'wives;  it  consists  of  the  eternity  of  the 
marriage  covenant  between  man  and  wife.  When  a  marriage 
is  sealed  by  the  Holy  Priesthood,  which  has  power  to  bind  on 
earth  and  it  is  bound  in  heaven,  the  man  and  wife  have  not 
alone  claim  upon  each  other  in  time,  but  in  eternity  also — 
they  are  husband  and  wife  after  the  resurrection.  The  doctrine 
revolutionizes  the  idea  of  marriage  as  entertained  by  mankind 
in  general,  which  is  usually  considered  to  be  a  contract  lasting 


*See  Jensen's  "Historical  Record,"  pp.  219-234;  "Gospel  Doctrine,"  pp.  619-20. 
**Doctrine  and  Co^nants,  Section  132. 


106  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

only  in  this  life;  and  declares  that  the  association  of  the  sexes 
thus  entered  into  is  eternal,  that  our  relations  here  as  husbands, 
wives,  families,  continue  in  the  celestial  spheres.  Marriage 
thus  becomes  one  of  the  chief  means  of  man's  exaltation  and 
glory  in  the  world  to  come,  whereby  he  may  have  endless  in- 
crease of  eternal  lives,  and  attain  at  length  to  the  power  of 
the  Godhead.*  It  was  this  glorious  doctrine,  in  connection 
with  baptism,  redemption  and  sealing  for  the  dead,  that  was 
the  uppermost  theme  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  during  the  last 
two  years  or  more  of  his  life. 

On  this  August  day,  here  amidst  the  liberty  of  the  moun- 
tains, Brigham  Young  saw  fit  to  publicly  proclaim  this  consol- 
ing doctrine,  including  also  that  portion  of  it  relating  to  the 
plurality  of  wives — the  latter  a  principle  which  Joseph  and  the 
leading  elders  only,  had  heretofore  privately  entertained  and 
practiced,  because  it  came  in  conflict  with  the  prejudice,  educa- 
tion, traditions  and  sentiments  of  the  age.  Then  followed  the 
promulgation  of  the  doctrine  by  missionaries  to  the  whole 
world.  Afterward,  polygamy  became  the  leading  question  for 
contention  between  the  officers  of  the  government  and  the 
"Mormons,"  until  the  practice  was  finally  suspended  by  a 
manifesto  of  President  Wilford  Woodruff,  dated  September 
24,  1890.  At  the  following  October  conference  the  Church 
accepted  his  declaration  as  authoritative  and  binding,  and  a 
plurality  of  wives  is  now  neither  taught  nor  practiced.  But 
marriages  for  time  and  eternity  are  entered  into  by  all  the 
faithful  Saints  in  the  holy  temples  which  dot  the  landscape  of 
their  Zion. 

8.     Events  from  1854  to  1857. 

As  Governor  Young's  first  term  was  drawing  to  a  close, 
it  became  evident  that  the  false  stories  circulated  about  him 
and  his  people,  chiefly  by  the  "runaways"  and  by  Secretary 
Ferris,  had  so  influenced  the  Nation's  Executive  that  he  would 
not  appoint  the  "Mormon"  governor  for  a  second  term.  The 

*"God,  Himself,  was  once  as  we  are  now,  and  is  an  exalted  Man,  and  sits  enthroned 
in  yonder  heavens.  ...  It  is  the  first  principle  of  the  gospel  to  know  for  a  certainty  the 
character  of  God,  and  to  know  that  we  may  converse  with  him  as  one  man  converses  with 
another,  and  that  he  was  once  a  man  like  us." — History  of  Joseph  Smith,  "Millennial 
Star,"  Vol.  23,  page  246. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  107 

action  of  Colonel  E.  J.  Steptoe,  however,  changed  his  deter- 
mination. The  Colonel  arrived  in  Utah  in  August,  1854,  with 
a  detachment  of  troops  on  his  way  to  California.  To  him  Presi- 
dent Franklin  Pierce  tendered  the  governorship.  This  the 
Colonel  respectfully  declined,  and  with  leading  citizens,  "Mor- 
mon" and  non-"Mormon,"  federal  officials  and  army  officers, 
petitioned  for  the  re-appointment  of  the  present  incumbent. 
The  memorial  had  the  desired  effect.  The  request  was  granted, 
and  Brigham  Young  received  the  appointment  as  Governor 
and  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs. 

Colonel  Steptoe  remained  with  his  troops  in  the  territory 
over  winter,  continuing  on  good  terms  with  the  Saints.  He 
had  orders  to  arrest  and  bring  to  trial  the  perpetrators  of  the 
Gunnison  massacre,*  which  he  succeeded  in  doing.  Eight 
Indians  being  arrested  were  tried  for  murder;  among  them  was 
the  chief  Kanosh,  who,  with  four  others,  was  acquitted,  while 
a  verdict  of  manslaughter  was  returned  against  the  remaining 
three. 

In  the  spring  of  1855,  Morgan  county  was  settled  by  Jede- 
diah  Morgan  Grant.  Orson  Hyde  pushed  west  and  established 
a  colony  in  Carson  Valley,  now  in  Nevada.  During  the  Buch- 
anan War  that  soori  followed,  the  settlements  in  the  valley 
were  broken  up. 

On  the  10th  of  May,  1855,  Charles  C.  Rich,  George  Q. 
Cannon,  Joseph  Bull  and  others  left  for  San  Francisco.  There, 
Elder  Cannon  established  the  weekly  Western  Standard,  pub- 
lishing the  first  issue  on  the  23rd  of  February,  1856,  about 
which  time  his  translation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  the 
Hawaiian  language  also  appeared. 

Judge  George  P.  Stiles,  succeeded  Judge  Snow,  at  the 
expiration  of  the  latter's  term,  in  1854.  After  the  death  of 
Chief  Justice  Reed,  in  New  York,  in  March,  1855,  Judge 
John  F.  Kinney  was  appointed  to  succeed  him.  Judge  Leonidas 
Shaver  died  in  Salt  Lake  City,  June  29,  1855,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Judge  W.  W.  Drummond.  Both  Judges  Reed  and  Shaver 


*Lieutenant  John  W.  Gunnison,  afterwards  Captain,  had  assisted  Captain  Stansbury 
in  his  labors.  Encamped  on  the  Sevier,  engaged  in  surveying  a  railway  route,  he  was  cruelly 
killed  by  the  Indians,  October  25,  1853.  Gunnison,  Sanpete  County,  was  named  in  honor 
of  this  friend  of  Utah  and  her  people.  He  wrote  a  valuable  and  impartial  work  on  "The 
Mormons." 


108  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

were  greatly  respected  by  the  people,  who  sincerely  mourned 
their  death. 

The  legislature  met  for  the  first  time  in  Fillmore,  the  new 
capital  of  the  territory,  on  the  10th  of  December,  1855.  In 
January  of  the  following  year,  the  population  of  the  territory 
is  given  as  76,335.  During  this  session  another  unsuccessful 
effort  was  made  for  the  admission  of  Utah  into  the  Union. 
John  Taylor,  then  editor  of  The  Mormon,  in  New  York,  and 
George  A.  Smith,  were  elected  delegates  to  present  the  memorial 
and  constitution  to  Congress.  Cache  and  Box  Elder  counties 
were  created  besides  a  number  of  counties  in  Carson  Valley. 

The  crops  of  1854-5  had  failed  owing  to  draught  and  grass- 
hoppers. The  winter  of  1855-6  was  unusually  severe.  Cattle 
and  sheep  by  the  thousand  died  from  cold  and  starvation.  As 
a  result  of  these  combined  calamities,  the  Saints  suffered  greatly 
and  were  once  more  driven  to  roots  for  subsistence.  Some  there 
were  who  had  provided  for  the  famine,  but  their  little  stores 
were  soon  exhausted  by  their  willingness  to  help  the  needy. 
Those  who  had,  gave  to  those  who  had  not.  Much  suffering 
was  thus  relieved  or  prevented.  "Unity  and  equality — those 
watch-words  of  the  United  Order — were  once  more  emphasized 
in  the  dealings  of  the  'Mormon'  people  with  one  another  and 
with  the  needy  of  all  classes  and  creeds  among  them."* 

To  add  to  the  troubles  of  these  times,  the  Indians  preci- 
pitated another  war  known  as  the  Tintic  War.  It  caused  the 
death  of  twelve  of  the  settlers.  Indian  depredations  on  the 
plains  were  also  numerous  in  1856. 

But  that  year's  greatest  calamity,  penetrating  the  whole 
Church  with  its  grief  and  gloom,  befell  the  late  handcart  com- 
panies. "It  had  been  decided  by  the  'Mormon'  leaders  that 
a  cheaper  and  more  expeditious  method  of  bringing  the  emi- 
grants across  the  great  plains  would  be  by  handcarts  in  lieu  of 
ox-teams  and  wagons.  The  carts,  manufactured  on  the  frontier, 
were  to  carry  the  baggage  and  provisions,  and  the  stronger  men 
were  to  pull  them."**  There  were  in  all  five  companies  of 
emigrating  Saints,  mostly  from  England,  who  had  decided  to 


*Whitney's  "History  of  Utah,"  Vol.  1,  p.  548. 

**For  full  accounts  of  the  handcart  companies,  written  by  John  Chislett  and  John 
Jaques,  see  Whitney's  "History  of  Utah,"  Vol.  1,  pp.  558-564.  See  also  Improvement 
Era,  for  an  illustrated  account,  Vol.  17,  pp.  3,  108,  201,  287. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  109 

cross  the  plains  in  that  way,  traversing  deserts,  wading  rivers, 
climbing  mountains,  a  distance  of  thirteen  hundred  miles  to 
Salt  Lake  City.  Three  companies  arrived  in  the  Valley  after 
a  three  months'  journey,  comparatively  in  good  condition; 
but  the  last  two  were  caught  in  the  snows  and  storms  of  an 
early  winter.  After  suffering  starvation  and  untold  hardships 
their  remnants  finally  arrived  in  the  Valley,  the  last  delayed 
company,  composed  of  six  hundred  persons,  having  lost  more 
than  one-fourth  of  their  numbers  by  death.  All  would  have 
shared  the  same  fate  had  not  relief  parties,  risking  their  own 
lives,  gone  to  their  assistance. 

9.     The  Utah  Expedition. 

While  Judges  Reed  and  Shaver  had  been  regarded  with 
much  favor  by  the  Latter-day  Saints,  and  Judge  Kinney  was 
now  so  regarded,  it  was  evident  from  the  first  that  Judges 
Stiles  and  Drummond  would  not  so  be  considered.  The  reason 
is  plain.  Their  characters  were  so  low  and  vicious  as  to  com- 
mand no  respect.  The  former  was  a  characterless  renegade 
"Mormon;"  the  latter,  a  gambler  and  lecher.*  And  these  two 
men,  but  more  especially  Drummond,  did  more  than  any 
others  to  bring  about  the  trouble  which  is  known  as  the  "Mor- 
mon War,"  or  properly  speaking,  President  "Buchanan's 
egregious  blunder." 

Little  attention  had  been  paid  by  the  general  Government 
to  Utah.  It  had  taken  occasion  to  slight  her  and  her  just  de- 
mands, in  the  matter  of  admission  to  the  sisterhood  of  states, 
and  in  appropriations  such  as  were  made  to  other  territories 
for  the  expense  of  their  legislatures,  state  houses,  Indian  out- 
breaks, etc.  Then,  to  make  matters  worse,  such  political  ad- 
venturers as  have  been  named  were  sent  to  be  the  judges  of 
the  people.  These,  finding  no  sympathy  among  an  honest 
community,  laid  plans  to  still  aggravate  the  existing  suspicions 
and  indifference  of  the  Nation  toward  the  Latter-day  Saints. 

Finding  their  courts  overcrowded  after  the  departure  of 


*Speaking  of  Drummond,  Bancroft,  "History  of  Utah,"  p.  490,  says:  "Leaving  his 
wife  and  family  in  Illinois  without  means  of  support,  he  brought  with  him  a  harlot  whom  he 
had  picked  up  in  the  streets  of  Washington,  and,  introducing  her  as  Mrs.  Drummond, 
seated  her  by  his  side  on  the  judicial  bench." 


110  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

the  "runaway  judges,"  the  Utah  Legislature  passed  an  act, 
in  1852,  giving  the  probate  court  "power  to  exercise  original 
jurisdiction,  both  civil  and  criminal,  as  well  in  chancery  as  in 
common  law,  when  not  prohibited  by  legislative  enactment." 
Thus  arose  complications.  The  federal  judges  declared  that 
these  courts  nullified  the  powers  of  the  higher  tribunals,  while 
the  Saints  maintained  that  without  the  powers  of  the  probate 
courts,  they  would  be  left  practically  without  civil  and  crim- 
inal jurisdiction.  Judges  Stiles  and  Drummond,  contrary  to 
the  practice  of  their  predecessors,  made  a  direct  issue  by  ig- 
noring the  authority  of  the  lower  courts  and  their  officials. 
The  people  would  not  sustain  them  in  this  movement,  and, 
being  powerless  to  proceed,  Judge  Stiles  was  compelled  to 
adjourn  his  court.  Returning  to  Washington,  in  the  Spring 
of  1857,  he  made  affidavit  to  this  effect,  declaring,  among  other 
things,  that  his  records  had  been  burnt  and  he  threatened  with 
violence.  The  records,  it  is  true,  had  been  removed  from  his 
office,  but  were  in  safe-keeping,  being  later  produced.  But  his 
report  went  abroad,  creating  much  adverse  criticism  of  the 
people. 

Judge  Drummond  became  very  unpopular,  not  alone  for 
moral  reasons,  but  also  for  his  judicial  course.  At  length,  he 
concluded  to  resign.  His  letter  of  resignation,  dated  March 
30,  1857,  sent  to  Attorney-General  Jeremiah  S.  Black,  sets 
forth  his  reasons  for  this  action.  He  conjures  up  many  wicked 
lies  and  groundless  accusations.  He  charges  that  the  records, 
papers,  etc.,  of  the  supreme  court  had  been  destroyed  by  order 
of  the  Church;  that  the  federal  officers  were  constantly  insulted, 
harassed  and  annoyed  without  redress.  He  charges  the  Governor 
with  improperly  pardoning  criminals,  advising  jurors  before- 
hand, so  that  no  charges  but  his  are  obeyed.  The  judiciary 
is  treated  as  a  farce,  the  "officers  are  insulted,  harassed  and 
murdered  for  doing  their  duty."  Closing,  he  suggests  that  a 
new  Governor  be  appointed  and  "supported  with  a  sufficient 
military  aid." 

This  report,  and  a  letter  written  by  a  mail  contractor 
named  W.  F.  Magraw,  also  minor  complaints  from  Indian 
agents  and  federal  officials,  led  President  Buchanan,  without 
further  investigation,  to  conclude  that  a  rebellion  existed  in 
Utah,  It  has  also  been  said,  but  not  sufficiently  sustained  by 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  Ill 

direct  evidence,  that  he  was  instigated  by  a  rebellious  desire 
to  scatter  the  Union  forces  in  case  of  a  conflict  with  the  South 
on  the  slavery  question,  which  was  then  the  uppermost  topic 
in  the  country.  The  Saints  then  as  now  and  «ver,  loyal  to 
their  country  and  its  institutions,  made  answer  to  all  the  charges 
as  they  were  published,  but  their  explanations  were  deemed 
insufficient.  Brigham  Young  was  superseded  in  the  governor- 
ship by  Alfred  Gumming,  and  an  army  of  two  thousand  five 
hundred  men,  well  equipped  and  supplied,  was  organized  and 
ordered  to  march  to  Salt  Lake  City,  ostensibly  as  a  posse 
comitatus  to  sustain  his  authority;  or,  if  need  be,  to  put  down 
the  alleged  lawlessness  by  force.  The  commander  of  the  troops 
was  instructed,  under  date  of  June  29,  1857,  how  to  proceed. 

The  mails  to  Utah  had  been  stopped,  leaving  the  people  as 
ignorant  of  the  coming  of  the  army  as  they  were  of  having 
rebelled  against  their  country.  It  was  not  until  the  24th  of 
July,  while  patriotically  celebrating  at  the  head  of  Big  Cotton- 
wood  Canyon,  their  advent  into  the  territory  ten  years 
before,  that  President  Young  and  his  people  were  a.ppris- 
ed  of  the  startling  news  by  three  "Mormon"  messengers 
from  the  east.*  In  the  evening,  President  Young  called 
the  people  together,  and,  addressing  them,  said,  among 
other  expressions:  "Liars  have  reported  that  this  people  have 
committed  treason,  and  upon  their  misrepresentations  the 
President  has  ordered  out  troops  to  assist  in  officering  this 

territory We  have  transgressed  no  law,  neither 

do  we  intend  to  do  so;  but  as  for  any  nation  coming  to  destroy 
this  people,  God  Almighty  being  my  helper,  it  shall  not  be." 
Then  the  celebration  went  on.  There  was  no  excitement, 
but  war  became  the  uppermost  theme  thereafter. 

On  the  8th  of  September  Captain  Van  Vliet  arrived  in 
Salt  Lake  City,  meeting  with  a  cordial  reception;  his  mission 
was  to  purchase  supplies,  and  to  inform  the  "Mormons"  that 
the  government  would  not  molest  nor  interfere  with  them. 
The  object  of  sending  the  troops  was  to  install  the  new  officials. 

"I  believe  you  tell  the  truth,"  replied  Brigham,  in  an  in- 
terview on  September  9,  "that  you  believe  this — but  you  do 
not  know  their  intentions  as  well  as  I  do.  We  have 


"Abraham  O.  Smoot,  Judson  Stoddard,  and  O.  P.  Rockwell. 


112  AiBRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

plenty  heie  of  what  you  want,  but  we  will  sell  you  nothing. 
Further  than  this,  your  army  shall  not  ehtei  this  valley." 

President  Young's  experience  with  military  bodies  in 
Missouri  and  Jllinois,  had  led  him  to  lose  confidence  in  their 
asserted  designs,  and  to  be  suspicious  of  their  intentions.  Why 
had  not  the  officers  been  sent  without  the  army?  There  had 
been  no  resistance  to  the  civil  authorities  heretofore,  why  was 
it  now  necessary  to  install  them  by  the  aid  of  troops?  The  real 
design  was  evidently  hidden.  It  was  the  extermination  of  the 
"Mormons,"  the  spoliation  of  their  homes  and  possessions, 
their  complete  annihilation.  So  thought  Brigham  Young, 
and  he  dealt  accordingly. 

The  Captain  remonstrated,  saying  that  even  if  the  moun- 
tain passes  could  be  defended  against  the  army  now  coming, 
reinforcements  would  be  sent  the  following  season  to  overcome 
all  opposition.  To  which  President  Young  replied:  "We  are 
aware  that  such  will  be  the  case;  but  when  these  troops  arrive, 
they  will  find  Utah  a  desert;  every  house  will  be  burned  to  the 
ground,  every  tree  cut  down,  and  every  field  laid  waste." 

The  Captain  was  as  deeply  impressed  as  he  was  astonished. 
He  returned  to  Washington  to  report  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Following  the  Captain's  depaiture,  Governor  Young 
declared  the  territory  under  martial  law,  September  17.  The 
Nauvoo  Legion  was  thoroughly  organized  under  Lieutenant 
Daniel  H.  Wells,  and  two  thousand  and  five  hundred  men,  young 
and  old,  were  mustered  to  prevent  the  entrance  of  the  troops 
into  the  Valley.  Early  in  October,  the  government  army 
supply  trains  were  burned  at  Green  River  by  Lot  Smith,  fol- 
lowed by  the  destruction  of  Fort  Bridger.  Finally  the  invading 
troops,  crippled,  starved  and  frozen,  were  forced  to  go  into 
winter  quaiters  on  Black's  Fork.  Excepting  a  guard,  the  Utah 
Militia  returned  to  their  homes  early  in  December.  So  mat- 
ters rested  until  Spring,  when  it  was  fully  expected  the  conflict 
would  begin  anew. 

Meanwhile  Governor  Young  had  asked  Colonel  Thomas  L. 
Kane  to  present  the  true  situation  before  President  Buchanan. 
Having  done  so,  the  President  dispatched  the  Colonel  to  Utah 
as  private  government  envoy  with  a  conciliatory  message.  He 
reached  Salt  Lake  City,  February  25,  1858,  and  learned  that 
there  would  be  no  objections  to  the  entrance  of  the  new  gover- 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  113 

nor  without  the  army,  which  would  not  be  allowed  to  ac- 
company him  or  to  quarter  in  any  city  or  settlement  of  the 
territory.  Departing  over  the  snows  for  Black's  Fork,  Colonel 
Kane  soon  convinced  Governor  Gumming  that  he  had  no  need 
of  the  army.  Then  the  two  departed  for  Salt  Lake  City,  ar- 
riving there  April  12.  After  a  cordial  meeting  with  President 
Young,  Governor  Gumming  was  duly  and  peaceably  installed 
in  his  new  position.  His  noble  peace  mission  now  ended,  Colonel 
Kane  returned  to  report  his  success  to  Washington. 

What  was  now  to  be  done  with  the  army? 

In  June  Governor  Powell  of  Kentucky,  and  Major  Mc- 
Kulloch  of  Texas,  met  President  Young  as  a  Peace  Commission 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  bearing  from  the  national  Executive  a  full 
and  free  pardon  for  all  past  seditions  and  treasons  for  all  of  the 
"Mormons"  who  would  submit  to  national  authority. 

President  Young  stated  his  position:  "I  thank  President 
Buchanan  for  forgiving  me,  but  I  really  cannot  tell  what  I 
have  done.  I  know  one  thing,  and  that  is  that  the  people  called 
'Mormons'  are  a  loyal  and  law-abiding  people,  and  have  ever 
been.  It  is  true  Lot  Smith  burned  some  wagons  containing 
government  supplies  for  the  army.  This  was  an  overt  act,  and 
if  it  is  for  this  that  we  are  to  be  pardoned,  I  accept  the  pardon." 

It  was  then  agreed  that  the  army  might  come  into  the 
basin,  but  should  not  quarter  within  forty  miles  of  the  city, 
nor  in  any  settlement  of  the  territory.  Entering  Salt  Lake 
City,  June  26,  they  founded  Camp  Floyd,  thirty-six  miles 
south,  where  they  remained  until  1860.  The  last  remnant 
departed  in  1861.  Many  of  the  soldiers  participated  in  the 
Civil  War,  in  which  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  the  commander  of 
the  Buchanan  Expedition  against  the  "Mormons,"  took  part 
as  a  rebel. 

Upon  first  entering  the  Valley,  the  troops  were  deeply 
moved  by  the  desolation  which  they  witnessed  all  about  them. 
With  no  faith  in  the  promises  of  armies,  the  Saints,  thirty 
thousand  strong,  had  fled  south,  to  what  destination  they  knew 
not.  Their  deserted  villages  and  cities  were  inhabited  only  by 
the  guards  who  had  been  left  with  torch  in  hand"  ready  to  fire 
their  dearly-earned  homes  and  possessions,  in  case  the  hostile 
army  should  invade  their  land  to  repeat  the  scenes  of  Far 
West  and  Nauvoo.  In  vain  Governor  Gumming  pleaded  with 


114  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

them  to  remain.  Said  President  Young,  "We  know  all  about 
it,  Governor.  We  have  on  just  such  occasions  seen  our  dis- 
armed men  hewn  down  in  cold  blood,  our  virgin  daughters 
violated,  our  wives  ravished  to  death  before  our  eyes.  We 
know  all  about  it,  Governor  Gumming." 

"The  Move"  attracted  attention  to  the  sacrifice  of  this 
people,  and  to  the  wrongs  inflicted  upon  them,  redounding  to 
their  praise  in  the  press  of  Europe  and  the  Union.  The  public 
saw  in  it  heroism,  devotion,  sincerity.  The  tide  turned  in 
favor  of  the  "Mormons."  When  the  object  of  "the  Move" 
had  been  realized,  the  people  returned  to  their  cities  and  habita- 
tions which  had  been  placed  sincerely  upon  the  altar  of  sacri- 
fice, but  this  time  not  required  of  them.  Thus  ended  the  "war." 
It  had  cost  the  country  fifteen  million  dollars,  exposed  the 
government  to  ridicule,  and  accomplished  nothing;  but  it  won 
for  the  Latter-day  Saints  esteem,  respect,  a  recognition  by 
the  outside  world  of  their  devotion  to  principle,  their  bravery 
in  time  of  peril,  their  loyalty  to  country. 

10.     A  Period  of  Recuperation. 

The  time  between  the  departure  of  the  army  and  the 
advent  of  the  great  transcontinental  railway  line  may  aptly 
be  termed  a  recuperation  period  in  the  history  of  the  Saints. 
During  these  years,  they  not  only  advanced  in  spiritual  things, 
possibly  to  a  greater  degree  than  heretofore  since  their  arrival 
in  the  valleys  of  the  mountains,  but  they  prospered  more 
abundantly  in  temporal  affairs.  It  was  an  epoch  of  telegraphs, 
railways  and  trade. 

Owing  in  a  degree  to  the  vicissitudes  of  1854-5-6,  many  of 
the  members  of  the  Church  had  become  weary  in  their  in- 
cessant struggle  with  hardships.  This  condition  led  to  neglect 
of  duty,  which  in  turn  resulted  in  the  loss  of  faith,  accompanied 
by  moral  transgression.  Every  triumph  that  the  Saints  had 
so  far  achieved  in  their  wonderful  career,  had  been  won  by 
and  through  their  faith.  Religion  had  been  their  stimulant, 
their  support.  So  it  must  continue.  To  this  end  the  "refor- 
mation" was  begun,  to  revive  the  lost  faith  of  the  indifferent 
and  sinful.  Its  labors  began  at  a  conference  at  Kaysville, 
September  15,  1856,  spreading  thence  throughout  the  entire 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  115 

Church,  at  home  and  abroad,  continuing  with  much  enthu- 
siasm into  the  spring  and  summer  of  1857.  Bishops,  mission- 
aries and  leading  elders  everywhere  took  part.  Repentance, 
a  turning  away  from  pride,  covetousness,  physical  and  moral 
uncleanliness,  and  other  abominations,  were  required  of  the 
people.  Humility  prevailed,  and  there  was  a  general  renewal 
of  covenants,  so  that  the  Saints  again  found  favor  in  the  sight 
of  God.  Thus  this  movement,  while  doubtless  overdone  in 
some  instances,  resulted  as  a  whole  in  much  good.  Without 
the  resulting  purification  it  is  doubtful  whether  there  would 
have  been  so  general  a  response  to  the  sacrifices  of  "The  Move," 
or  such  a  healthy  growth,  in  the  years  following. 

The  Overland  Telegraph  was  completed  October  24, 
1861.  Less  than  three  years  and  three  months  had  passed  since 
the  memorable  day  in  the  world's  history,  August  5,  1858, 
when  the  first  Atlantic  cable  was  completed.  Now  the  electric 
messenger  penetrated  the  continent,  and  bore  its  instant  tales 
from  sea  to  sea,  through  the  home  of  the  Saints,  placing  them 
in  immediate  communication  with  the  whole  world.  It  was  the 
signal  of  a  new  era  about  to  dawn  upon  them,  but  they  were 
preparing  themselves  for  the  changes  that  it  would  bring.  The 
facility  with  which  the  Saints  adapt  themselves  to  progressive, 
altered  conditions,  has  often  been  a  subject  of  remark.  The 
present  case  was  no  exception. 

Torn  as  the  nation  was  at  this  time  by  internal  strife,,  it 
is  a  significant  commentary  upon  the  loyalty  of  the  Saints  that 
the  first  message  which  passed  east  over  the  completed  line, 
from  President  Brigham  Young,  read:  "Utah  has  not  seceded, 
but  is  firm  for  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  our  once  happy 
country." 

In  1862,  another  unsuccessful  trial  was  made  by  the  Saints 
to  obtain  statehood  for  Utah.  Hons.  William  H.  Hooper  and 
George  Q.  Cannon  were  the  senators-elect.  They  labored 
diligently  to  secure  Utah's  admission  to  the  sisterhood  of  states, 
their  motto  being:  "We  can  redress  our  grievances  better  in 
the  Union  than  out  of  it,"  significant  words,  indeed,  in  view  of 
the  great  national  controversy  over  secession. 

It  was  on  the  2nd  day  of  July,  of  this  same  year,  that 
President  Abraham  Lincoln  approved  and  signed  "an  act  to 
punish  and  prevent  the  practice  of  polygamy  in  the  territories 


116  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

of  the  United  States  and  other  places,  and  disapproving  and 
annulling  certain  acts  of  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the 
Territory  of  Utah."  The  provisions  of  this  act  became  a  dead- 
letter  upon  the  statute  books  for  many  years.  There  was, 
however,  an  effort  made  by  Governor  Harding,  in  1863,  to 
punish  President  Young  under  this  law,  but  for  lack  of  evidence 
the  jury  failed  to  indict,  and  so  the  matter  rested.  It  being 
President  Lincoln's  policy  to  let  the  "Mormons"  alone,  Gover- 
nor Harding,  upon  their  petition,  was  dismissed  for  his  pains. 
Then  followed  a  time  of  political  peace,  broken  only  by  the 
efforts  of  Col.  P.  E.  Connor  to  establish  a  military  in  lieu 
of  a  civil  government  in  the  territory.  Col.  Connor  is  credited, 
and  very  justly,  too,  with  being  "the  father  of  Utah  mining;" 
he  was  the  founder  of  Camp  or  Fort  Douglas,  and  his  troops, 
California  volunteers  who  had  enlisted  seven  hundred  strong 
to  fight  Southern  rebels,  being  detained  in  Utah,  did  good 
service  in  checking  Indian  depredations  north  of  Cache  Valley, 
for  which  the  colonel  was  made  Brigadier-General.  But  his 
scheme  to  establish  military  power  in  Utah  utterly  failed. 

The  next  important  event  was  the  establishment  of  the 
Deseret  Telegraph  Line.  With  little  ready  means  the  Saints 
built  five  hundred  miles  of  this  line,  between  1865  and  1867, 
at  a  cost  of  $150  per  mile,  thus  placing  their  principal  settle- 
ments, now  extending  in  all  directions,  into  instant  communi- 
cation with  one  another  and  with  the  leaders  of  the  Church,  whose 
counsels  and  instructions  thus  could  be  transmitted  rapidly  to 
every  portion  of  the  territory.  This  line  was  kept  in  constant 
service  by  the  Church,  until  1900,  when,  by  sale,  it  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  great  Western  Union  system. 

In  1868,  the  approaching  railroad  warned  the  inspired 
leader  of  the  Saints  that  the  isolation  which  had  made  Zjon  a 
peculiar  people  would  soon  be  destroyed.  There  would  be 
great  financial  and  social  changes.  To  guard  the  money  in- 
terest of  the  people,  as  well  as  to  insure  their  temporal  suprem- 
acy, President  Young  announced,  "that  it  was  advisable 
that  the  people  of  Utah  should  become  their  own  merchants." 
Then  followed  the  organization  of  Zion's  Co-operative  Mer- 
cantile Institution,  which  began  business  early  in  1869.  Branches 
were  established  in  nearly  all  the  settlements,  and  while 
many  failed,  or  have  gone  out  of  business,  there  can  be  no 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  117 

question  about  the  benefit  that  resulted  to  the  community 
from  this  movement.  There  were  several  branches  of  the  in- 
stitution for  years.  The  parent  house  has  an  enormous  trade, 
and  may  be  said  to  constitute  the  temporal  mercantile  bulwark 
of  the  "Mormons."  It  has  helped  materially  to  preserve  them 
as  a  community;  it  has  earned  for  them  a  financial  influence 
abroad,  while  it  has  aided  in  maintaining  a  uniformity  in 
prices,  and  has  been  a  ballast  to  trade  at  home;  it  has  held  the 
money  resources  of  the  people  within  themselves,  and  in  great 
measure  it  has  insured  the  social  unity  of  the  Saints. 

The  Union  Pacific  Railway  was  completed  as  far  as  Salt 
Lake  Valley  on  the  8th  of  March,  1869.  At  length  the  peti- 
tions and  desires  of  the  Utah  pioneers  were  answered.  But 
their  influence  was  not  all  that  offered  to  aid  in  this  monstrous 
enterprise.  With  their  own  hands,  the  "Mormons"  graded  a 
highway  from  the  head  of  Echo  Canyon  to  Ogden  City.  Its 
eastern  end  traverses  the  plains  for  many  hundred  miles  over 
the  road  which  they  pioneered.  At  Ogden  City,  on  the  event- 
ful day  named,  the  assembled  multitude  now  greeted  the  iron 
horse  with  shouts  of,  "Utah  bids  you  welcome;"  "Hail  to 
the  great  national  highway."  On  the  17th  of  May  following, 
the  Utah  Central  Railroad,  from  Ogden  to  Salt  Lake  City, 
was  begun,  being  completed  on  the  10th  of  January,  1870.* 
It  was  purely  a  "Mormon"  enterprise.  Then  followed  the 
building  of  the  Utah  Southern  (May,  1871),  and  the  Utah 
and  Northern  (September,  1871),  now  of  the  Oregon  Short 
Line  system. 

In  the  meantime,  missionaries  were  constantly  sent  to 
the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  emigrations,  for  which  hundreds 
of  teams  yearly  were  forwarded  to  the  Missouri,  from  various 
lands,  continued  to  swell  the  population.  New  settlements 
were  formed.**  Thrift  and  industry  made  the  barren  places 
fruitful.***  The  thirsty  plains  and  valleys  smiled  with  ver- 


*An  appropriate  celebration  of  the  50th  anniversary  of  the  event  was  held  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  Jan.,  1920,  attended  by  hundreds  who  helped  to  build  the  road.  A  banquet 
was  given  the  veterans  and  workers  in  the  Hotel  Utah,  and  later  a  program  of  music 
and  speeches  was  presented  in  the  Tabernacle,  where  President  Heber  J.  Grant  presided. 
**Bear  Lake  Valley  and  Wasatch  county  were  settled  in  1863,  Sevier  and  Piute  coun- 
ties in  1864. 

***Portions  of  the  Territory  were  severely  afflicted  by  the  grasshoppers,  which  pest 
appeared  in  1867,  and  continued  until  well  along  into  the  '70s,  often  totally  destroying 
vegetation  for  years  together. 


118  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

dure,  at  the  touch  of  the  magic  streams  directed  by  the  toiling 
husbandman.  Peace  prevailed  in  the  mountain  Zion.* 
Children  listened  with  wonder  to  the  tale  of  the  pioneer.  Schools 
and  meeting  houses**  sprang  up  in  every  village,  attended 
by  a  happy  youth  and  a  thankful  people,  content  in  their 
homespun.  Virtue  dwelt  by  the  side  of  honesty,  and  the  fear 
of  God,  in  the  hearts  of  the  people. 

11.     Official  Crusade. — Death  of  President  Young. 

With  the  introduction  of  President  Young's  mercantile 
policy,  arose  a  schism,  known  as  the  "Godbeite"  or  "New 
Movement,"  which  threatened  a  dangerous  break  in  the  Church. 
A  number  of  disaffected  "Mormon"  merchants  began  to  oppose 
President  Young,  and  what  they  termed  his  "one  man  power," 
and  his  temporal  leanings,  exemplified  in  the  organization  of 
Z.  C.  M.  I.,  the  building  of  railroads,  and  other  secular  enter- 
prises. These  elders,  being  excommunicated  and  joined  by 
anti-"Mormons,"  became  the  nucleus  of  home  opposition 
from  which  grew,  in  the  early  months  of  1870,  the  so-called 
Liberal  Party  whose  bitter  and  unscrupulous  warfare  against 
the  Saints  is  almost  without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  political 
strife.  To  the  agitations  and  misrepresentations  of  this  party, 
coupled  with  the  co-operation  of  Mr.  Schuyler  Colfax,  Rever- 
end J.  P.  Newman  and  conspirators  and  allies  at  the  seat  of 
Government,  may  be  attributed  the  missionary  judicial  cru- 
sade that  overwhelmed  the  Church  and  its  leading  men  with 
persecution,  under  the  administration  of  President  U.  S.  Grant, 
in  1870-1  to  1875.  While  Mr.  Colfax  and  his  eastern  associates 
were  doubtless  sincere  in  their  desire  to  fight  polygamy,  the 
overthrow  of  which  was  the  aim  of  their  warfare,  no  one  doubts 
that  their  allies  in  Utah  had  solely  another  object  in  view— 

*The  exception  to  this  was  the  Black  Hawk  Indian  trouble  in  1866-7,  in  southern 
counties.  The  Utah  militia,  under  Gen.  D.  H.  Wells,  did  good  service  in  protecting  the 
settlements. 

**The  Tabernacle  at  Salt  Lake  City  was  so  far  completed,  in  1867,  that  the  October 
conference  was  held  therein.  At  this  time,  Joseph  F.  Smith  was  called  and  ordained  to  the 
apostleship. 

The  Deseret  News  was  first  issued  as  a  daily  in  Nov.,  1867;  as  a  weekly,  June  15, 
1850;  as  a  semi-weekly,  October  8,  1865.  The  Ogden  Junction  was  first  issued  January 
1,  1870,  which  was  supplanted  in  May,  1881,  by  the  Ogden  Herald,  which  name  was 
changed  to  the  Ogden  Standard  in  1888;  the  Salt  Lake  Daily  Herald,  June  6,  1870, 
and  the  Mormon,  later  the  Salt  Lake  Tribune,  in  January,  1870.  The  Salt  Lake  Daily 
Herald  suspended  with  its  issue  of  July  16, 1920. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  119 

the  political  control  of  the  Territory — they  were  determined  to 
rule  or  ruin. 

President  -  Grant  was  inaugurated  on  March  4,  1869. 
The  assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  at  Ford's  Theatre,  by 
John  Wilkes  Booth,  had  taken  place,  April  14,  1865.  The 
"let  them  alone"  policy  of  President  Lincoln,  and  practically 
followed  by  President  Andrew  Johnson,  was  from  now  on 
abandoned  by  the  President  who,  thoroughly  filled  with  the 
misrepresentations  of  the  party  and  their  allies  referred  to, 
determined  to  solve  the  "Mormon"  problem,  termed  the 
"twin  relic,"  by  special  legislation  and  judicial  machinery,  or, 
these  failing,  by  the  sword,  as  slavery  had  been  determined. 
It  was  claimed  by  the  "new  movement"  people  that  they  avert- 
ed a  war;  in  other  words,  induced  the  administration  to  aban- 
don, to  some  extent,  a  proposed  military  subjugation  of  the 
territory.  It  was  then  decided  to  proceed  against  the  "Mor- 
mons" through  appointed  federal  officials.  To  begin  with, 
the  proper  men  were  found  in  Governor  J.  Wilson  Shaffer  and 
Chief  Justice  James  B.  McKean,  the  most  determined  foes 
that  the  "Mormons"  in  Utah  ever  had.  To  aid  them  in  their 
bigoted  mission,  the  Government  sent  soldiers  to  act  as  a 
"moral  force"  in  the  protection  of  "Gentiles"  and  apostates. 
Small  wonder  that  illegal  processes,  packed  juries,  absurd 
rulings,  characterized  the  judicial  proceedings.  Where  the 
law  failed  to  aid  them  in  carrying  out  their  measures,  they  did 
not  scruple  to  set  it  aside  by  extra-judicial  rulings. 

The  muster  of  the  territorial  militia  was  first  forbidden  by 
Governor  Shaffer,  in  1870,  evidently  that  greater  scope  might 
be  given  the  officers  to  harass  the  Saints  without  danger  of 
resistance.  The  militia  had  often  been  called  into  action  to 
protect  the  settlements  from  Indian  depredations,  serving 
weeks  at  a  time  without  pay,  either  from  the  territory  or  the 
general  Government.  But  from  this  time  on,  they  were  not 
even  allowed  to  patriotically  parade  in  a  4th  of  July  procession, 
or  upon  any  other  public  occasion.  In  October,  1870,  Governor 
Shaffer  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Governor  George  L.  Woods, 
who  followed  in  his  footsteps. 

The  militia  was  practically  disbanded,  followed  by  high- 
handed judicial  acts  of  Judge  McKean,  who  disgraced  his  office 
"in  a  manner  to  which  the  world  can  furnish  no  parallel." 


120  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

His  mission  was  to  overthrow  "Mormonism."  "A  mission," 
he  declared,  "as  high  above  my  mere  duty  as  judge  as  heaven 
is  above  the  earth."  Raising  the  cry:  Federal  authority  vs. 
Polygamic  theocracy,  the  crusade  was  carried  on  in  deadly 
earnest,  until  his  illegal  decisions  were  reversed  by  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States.  President  Young,  and  other 
prominent  men  of  the  Church,  suffered  severe  annoyances 
through  arrests,  and  through  illegally  instituted  judicial  pro- 
ceedings, being  forced  to  incur  great  expense  in  defending  them- 
selves. At  length,  Judge  McKean  went  to  such  extremes  that 
the  administration,  in  sympathy  with  him  as  it  was,  could 
tolerate  his  actions  no  longer,  and  on  the  16th  of  March,  1875, 
he  was  removed  because  of  his  fanatical  and  extreme  conduct, 
and  because  of  several  acts  of  his  which  the  President  consider- 
ed ill-advised,  tyrannical,  and  in  excess  of  his  powers  as  judge. 
But  the  Liberals  continued  their  machinations  unabated. 
Nearly  every  session  of  Congress  was  overwhelmed  by  bills  of 
their  framing  and  concoction,  calculated  to  proscribe  or  per- 
secute the  Saints.  The  "Poland  Bill"  was  passed  June  23, 
1874.  Their  agitations  finally  resulted  in  the  passage  of  the 
"Edmunds'  Bill,"  in  1882,  supplemented  later  by  the  "Ed- 
munds-Tucker Act." 

In  the  midst  of  these  persecutions  and  annoyances,  the 
interests  of  the  Church  never  lagged  for  a  moment.  Coloniza- 
tion also  continued.  An  effort  was  made,  in  1873,  to  establish 
settlements  in  Arizona.  A  large  number  of  settlers  from  Utah 
met  in  Salt  Lake  City  March  8,  and  were  instructed  in  their 
colonizing  labors  by  President  Young.  Meeting  at  first  with 
failure,  their  efforts  resulted  in  the  experience  which  finally 
led  to  success,  and  at  present  there  are  many  thriving  settle- 
ments of  the  Saints  in  Arizona. 

On  the  14th  of  October,  the  year  previous,  President  George 
A.  Smith  left  on  a  trip  to  Palestine,  where,  on  March  2,  fol- 
lowing, he  and  his  associates  held  divine  service  on  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  on  which  occasion  they  dedicated  the  Land  of  Pales- 
tine for  the  gathering  of  the  Jews,  and  for  the  rebuilding  of 
Jerusalem.*  Returning,  President  Smith  reached  Salt  Lake 
City,  June  18,  1873,  where  he  died,  September  1,  1875. 

*"When  you  get  to  the  land  of  Palestine,  we  want  you  to  dedicate  and  consecrate 
that  land  to  the  Lord,  that  it  may  be  blessed  with  fruitfulness,  preparatory  to  the  return 
of  the  Jews,S  in  fulfilment  of  prophecy  and  the  accomplishment  of  the  purposes  of  our 
Heavenly  Father."— Excerpt  from  a  letter  by  Presidents  Priehain  Youne  and.  Daniel  H. 
Wells  to  President  Smith. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  121 

In  1874-5  there  was  a  general  religious  movement  among 
the  Indians,  hundreds  embracing  the  gospel  in  Tooele  county, 
St.  George,  and  other  places.  In  January  of  the  latter  year, 
the  first  Lamanites  were  married  according  to  the  order  of  the 
holy  Priesthood. 

In  the  summer  of  1875  the  Improvement  Associations  of 
the  young  Latter-day  Saints  was  first  instituted,  the  first 
association  being  organized  in  the  13th  Ward,  Salt  Lake  City, 
June  10.  Four  years  later,  their  organ,  the  Contributor,  first 
appeared  (October,  1879).*  The  membership  of  these  as- 
sociations numbered  in  1920  close  to  one  hundred  thousand  of 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Saints.  The  Sunday  Schools, 
first  organized  in  the  Fourteenth  Ward,  Salt  Lake  City,  by 
Elder  Richard  Ballantyne,  in  1849,  had  flourished  and  increased 
in  membership  to  nearly  thirty  thousand,  in  1875.**  Secu- 
lar education  was  not  neglected.  Every  settlement  boasted  its 
schoolhouse  and  public  school  which  compared  favorably  with 
like  institutions  in  the  states  or  territories  of  equal  age,  in  other 
parts  of  the  Union.  President  Young  established  the  B.  Y. 
Academy  at  Provo,  October  16,  1875,  and  the  B.  Y.  College  in 
Logan,  July  24,  1877.  The  Deseret  University,  opened  for  the 
first  time  November  11,  1850,  was  prospering.  The  leaders  of 
the  Church  have  ever  been  firm  friends  of  true  education,  and 
their  efforts  in  this  direction  have  ever  been  nobly  seconded  by 
the  Saints  as  a  community;  as  a  result,  Utah  stands  today 
first  in  educational  progress***  among  her  sister  commonwealths 
in  the  West.**** 

Temple  building  went  on.  The  St.  George  temple  was 
dedicated  at  the  April  conference  held  in  that  city,  April  6-8, 

*The  Contributor,  founded  by  Junius  F.  Wells,  continued  through  seven- 
teen volumes,  but  was  discontinued  shortly  after  the  death  of  Apostle  A.  H.  Cannon, 
which  occurred  July  19,  1896,  he  being  then  the  publisher  and  owner.  It  was  succeeded  by 
the  Improvement  Era,  first  issued  November  1,  1897,  the  present  organ  of  the  priesthood 
quorums,  the  Y.M.M.I.A.,  which  had  in  1920  a  membership  of  over  forty  thousand,  and 
the  Church  Schools.  The  Young  Woman's  Journal  was  founded  in  1889,  and  is  the  or- 
gan of  the  Y.L.M.I.A.,  organized  in  1869  and  having  a  membership  now  of  45,000.  Both 
of  these  magazines  are  owned  by  the  organizations.  The  Relief  Society  Magazine  was 
established  January  1,  1913,  and  is  the  organ  of  that  society.  The  Children's  Friend 
represents  the  Primary  Associations,  and  was  first  published  January  1,  1901. 

**The  Juvenile  Instructor,  established  by  President  George  Q.  Cannon,  January  1, 
1866,  is  the  organ  of  the  Sabbath  Schools  of  the  Saints,  which  had  a  membership,  in  1920, 
of  over  201,000.  It  is  owned  by  the  Sunday  Schools. 

***The  position  of  Utah  and  Idaho  in  the  educational  world  is  a  striking  refutation  of 
any  statement  that  the  Latter-day  Saints  foster  ignorance.  The  public,  as  well  as  the 
Church  schools,  all  of  which  are  attended  largely  if  not  mostly  by  "Mormon"  children,  are 


122  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

1877,  ordinances  for  the  dead  being  ministered  therein  on  the 
9th.  On  the  25th  of  the  same  month,  the  temple  site  in  Manti 
was  dedicated,  followed,  May  18,  by  the  dedication  of  the 
ground  for  the  Logan  temple. 

The  organization  of  the  stakes  of  Zion  was  completed  in 
the  summer  of  1877,  the  quorums  of  the  Priesthood  were  set 
in  order,  and  the  ecclesiastical  government  was  perfected  ac- 
cording to  the  pattern  revealed  from  heaven.  In  this  pleasant 
labor,  the  founder  of  Utah  spent  his  last  days. 

On  the  29th  day  of  August,  1877,  President  Brigham  Young 
died,  surrounded  by  his  family  and  kind  friends.  He  passed 
peacefully  to  rest,  sincerely  mourned  by  a  whole  people  whose 
chief  and  adviser  he  had  been  for  thirty-three  years.  He  was 
one  of  the  great  men  of  the  century.  His  achievements  as 
leader  of  the  Nauvoo  Exodus,  and  as  Colonizer  of  the  American 
desert,  will  be  regarded  justly  as  among  the  grandest  accomp- 
lishments of  modern  times.* 


fully  equal  to  those  of  many  other  states  in  the  Union  and  in  some  things  lead.  The  enroll- 
ment in  the  public  high  schools  of  Utah,  in  1920,  was  about  14,000;  there  were  128,846 
children  in  Utah,  in  1919,  and  the  amount  expended  for  the  support  of  elementary  and 
secondary  schools  amounted  to  nearly  six  million  dollars.  Besides,  the  Latter-day  Saints 
have  eleven  colleges  and  academies  in  Utah,  and  ten  in  other  states,  with  an  enrollment, 
in  1920,  of  over  8,000  students. 

In  the  matter  of  legislation  embracing  a  part-time  educational  law  for  all  boys  and 
girls  up  to  18  years,  Dr.  C.  A.  Prosser,  Director  of  William  Hood  Dunwoodey  Industrial 
Institute,  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  says:  "The  bare  test  of  this  law  has  been  made  into  a 
comprehensive  program,  for  the  conservation  of  children,  not  equaled  on  this  continent. 
In  this  way,  Utah  has  not  only  taken  a  foremost  place  in  the  galaxy  of  states,  but  has  made 
a  distinct  and  lasting  contribution  to  citizenship,  efficiency,  prosperity  and  civilization.  . .  . 
It  is  eminently  fitting  that  the  state  of  Utah  should  reach  a  high  water-mark  in  such  an 
investment  for  the  future.  The  state  itself  is  the  result  of  such  faith  and  such  self-denial, 
for  Utah  is  known  to  be  the  land  of  thrift,  the  land  of  hard  toil  and  earnest  saving."  (See 
article  "The  Utah  Program,"  Improvement  Era,  July,  1920,  Vol.  23,  number  9.  ) 

****The  School  Journal,  reviewing    the  school  exhibit  of  the  various  states  and  terri- 
tories at  the  World's  Exposition  (1893),  says:  "In  the  originality  and  general  merit  of  its 

exhibit,  Utah  stands  easily  first  in  the  Western  group Here    behind    the  western 

mountains  a  system  of  education  is  being  nurtured,  that,  while  it  challenges  the  best  else- 
where, owes  its  upbuilding  very  greatly  to  the  peculiar  stamina  of  its  own  communities." 

*For  an  account  of  the  character  and  leading  events  in  the  career  of  Brigham  Young, 
see  Anderson's  "Life  of  Brigham  Young,"  a  companion  volume  to  this  "Brief  History  of 
the  Church." 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  123 


V. 

FROM  THE  DEATH  OF  PRESIDENT  YOUNG  TO  1901. 

1877-1901. 

1.     John  Taylor  Chosen  Leader. 

Enemies  of  the  Saints  had  often  prophesied  that  upon  the 
death  of  Brigham  Young,  "Mormonism,"  so-called,  would  fall 
to  pieces.  It  was  soon  clearly  demonstrated,  however,  that  the 
Church  is  not  founded  upon  the  ability  or  strength  of  any  man, 
but  rather  upon  revelation,  with  Christ  as  its  corner  stone. 

The  order  of  succession  had  been  decided  in  Nauvoo. 
Elder  John  Taylor,  who  was  president  of  the  Twelve  Apostles, 
with  his  quorum,  now  became  the  presiding  authority  of  the 
Church.  As  such,  they  were  unanimously  upheld  at  the  48th 
semi-annual  conference,  in  October,  1877.  On  this  occasion 
the  authorities  of  the  Church  were  sustained  in  their  order; 
first,  by  the  Priesthood  of  the  Church,  who  voted  by  quorums, 
from  the  highest  in  authority  to  the  lowest,  rising  in  turns  to 
their  feet  with  uplifted  hands;  then  finally,  by  the  entire  con- 
gregation. There  was  a  spirit  of  union  which  so  far  from  boding 
dissolution,  rather  indicated  renewed  strength,  unfaltering 
devotion  to  their  cause  and  doctrine. 

At  the  October  conference,  1880,  three  years  afterward,  the 
First  Presidency  was  organized  for  the  third  time  in  the  history 
of  the  Church.  John  Taylor  was  chosen  President,  with  George 
Q.  Cannon  and  Joseph  F.  Smith  as  his  counselors.  President 
John  Taylor  was  then  72  years  of  age.  He  was  a  native  of 
Milnthorp;  England,  born  November  1,  1808.  He  joined  the 
Church  in  Canada,  in  1836,  and  was  called  to  the  apostleship 
by  revelation,  in  1838.  He  had  filled  numerous  missions  to 
England,  France  (into  which  land  he  introduced  the  gospel), 
Germany,  and  the  United  States.  He  had  extensively  engaged 
in  literary  labors,  having  edited  Church  pa'pers  in  every  coun- 
try named,  save  England,  besides  superintending  the  trans- 
lation of  the  Book  of  Mormon  into  French  and  German,  sup- 
plemented at  that  time  and  later  by  the  publication  of  im- 


124  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

portant  doctrinal  works.  He  was  a  dear  friend  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph,  they  having  mingled  blood  at  the  martyrdom.  In  all 
the  travels  of  the  Saints,  and  in  their  mountain  home,  he  had 
always  been  a  leader  in  their  midst.  The  people  had  full  con- 
fidence in  him;  he  was  their  "Champion  of  Liberty." 

Fifty  years  had  passed  since  six  members  met  in  the  State 
of  New  York  and  organized  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Lat- 
ter-day Saints.  Like  the  ancient,  modern  Israel  would  have  a 
year  of  Jubilee.  That  the  people  might  feel  its  influence,  it 
was  agreed  at  the  regular  April  conference,  1880,  on  suggestion 
of  President  Taylor,  to  release  one-half  of  the  people's  indebted- 
ness to  the  Perpetual  Emigration  Fund,  the  principal  of  which 
amounted  to  $704,000,  and  now,  with  interest  added,  to 
$1,604,000.  Out  of  this  amount,  it  was  voted  to  forgive  the 
poor  debtors  $800,000,  or  about  one-half  of  the  whole  amount, 
the  other  half  being  left  for  such  debtors  to  pay  as  were  able 
but  had  not  done  so.  Then  there  was  due  the  Church  on  tithing 
account,  $151,798,  $75,899  of  which  were  cancelled  on  the 
indebtedness  of  the  deserving  poor.  It  was  also  agreed  to  dis- 
tribute to  the  worthy  poor,  one  thousand  good  cows,  the  Church 
to  furnish  300,  and  the  stakes,  700;  also  5,000  sheep,  2,000 
of  which  were  donated  by  the  Church  and  the  remainder  by 
the  stakes. 

The  year  1879  had  been  very  dry,  causing  a  shortage  in 
crops.  There  was  little  wheat  in  the  territory,  and  so  the  sisters 
of  the  Relief  Societies  voted  to  loan  out  to  the  needy  farmers 
34,761  bushels  of  seed  wheat,  to  be  returned  at  their  convenience 
without  interest. 

It  was  to  be  made  a  year  of  rejoicing.  Individuals  were 
counseled  to  relieve  their  distressed  debtors;  Z.  C.  M.  I.  and 
the  banks  were  asked  to  do  something  in  cancelling  the  debts 
of  the  honest  poor.  The  utmost  good  feeling  prevailed,  and 
the  Saints  generally  carried  out  the  counsel  of  their  leader; 
"While  God  is  blessing  us,  let  us  bless  one  another." 

Pioneer  Day  was  celebrated  this  year  with  great  rejoicings 
and  demonstrations,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  people  coming  from 
all  parts  of  the  territory  on  the  occasion.  The  trades,  industries, 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  125 

schools,  societies  and  associations,*  commerce,  art  and  science, 
were  duly  represented  in  the  parade.  After  the  grand  pro- 
cession, appropriate  reminiscent  ceremonies  were  held  in  the 
large  Tabernacle.  Among  the  noteworthy  parts  of  the  pro- 
gram was  the  appearance  of  twenty-five  representatives  from 
as  many  nations  where  the  gospel  had  been  preached. 

In  the  concluding  speech  on  this  occasion,  President  Tay- 
lor made  this  remarkable  prophetic  utterance:  "There  are 
events  in  the  future,  and  not  far  ahead,  that  will  require  all 
our  faith,  all  our  energy,  all  our  confidence,  all  our  trust  in 
God  to  enable  us  to  withstand  the  influences  that  will  be  brought 

against  us There  never  was  a  time  when  we  needed  to  be 

more  humble  and  more  prayerful ;  there  never  was  a  time  when 
we  needed  more  fidelity,  self-denial,  and  adherence  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  truth  than  we  do  this  day." 

So  indeed  it  proved  to  be.  The  next  few  years  were  to  be 
among  the  most  trying  in  the  experience  of  the  Church. 

2.     The  Edmunds-Tucker  Agitation. — Death  of 
President  Taylor  in  Exile. 

The  enjoyment  of  peace  was  short.  Days  of  sore  trial 
were  at  hand.  In  the  summer  of  1881,  a  crusade  was  inau- 
gurated against  the  Saints  to  suppress  their  institution  of  plural 
marriage.  It  was  begun  by  sectarian  opponents  and  politi- 
cians. Beginning  in  Utah,  the  agitation  soon  spread  through- 
out the  whole  land.  Alarming  falsehoods  of  "Mormon"  dis- 
loyalty, vice,  and  abominations,  soon  stirred  the  people  of  the 
nation  and  their  national  representatives,  to  a  fever  heat  against 
the  Saints.  The  politicians  were  actuated  by  a  hunger  for 
spoils  and  the  emoluments  of  office,  while  the  ministers  were 
evidently  led  by  disappointment  or  innate  hate.  Neither 
class  seemed  to  care  so  much  for  polygamy  as  for  these  other 

*The  Sabbath  Schools  at  this  time  numbered  33,000;  the  Improvement  Associations 
of  the  young  men  were  ten  thousand  strong.  Remembering  that  the  former  now,  1901, 
number  125,000,  and  the  latter  30,000,  we  have  another  witness  of  the  growth  and  strength 
of  this  "marvelous  work  and  a  wonder."  To  this  it  may  be  added,  showing  constantly  ad- 
vancing growth,  that  in  1920,  the  Sunday  School  membership  numbered  201,448,  of 
which  34,744  were  in  the  22  established  missions  of  the  United  States  and  foreign  countries; 
the  Young  Men  and  Young  Ladies,  40,226  and  45,678  respectively.  Then  there  were  the 
Relief  Societies  with  45,413;  the  Primary  Association  with  a  membership  of  67,508,  and 
the  Religion  Class  with  43,000. 


126  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

considerations.  Congress  was  pressed  to  enact  the  pending 
prescriptive  measures.  Memorials,  protests,  declarations, 
and  petitions  of  the  Saints  denying  the  industriously  circulat- 
ed falsehoods,  were  of  no  avail. 

The  Edmunds  law,  supplemental  to  the  law  of  1862,  which 
had  practically  remained  a  dead  letter,  was  signed  by  President 
Chester  Alan  Arthur,  the  twenty-first  President  of  the  United 
States,  on  the  22nd  of  March,  1882,  and  became  law.  Poly- 
gamy was  made  punishable  by  disfranchisement,  also  a  fine 
of  not  more  than  five  hundred  dollars  and  imprisonment  for 
not  more  than  three  years.  Co-habitation  with  more  than  one 
woman,  in  the  marriage  relation,  was  punishable  by  a  fine  of 
not  to  exceed  three  hundred  dollars  and  imprisonment  not  to 
exceed  six  months.  Polygamists  and  believers  in  the  doc- 
trine of  plural  marriage  were  rendered  incompetent  to  act  as 
jurors.  No  polygamist  could  hold  office  or  vote.  In  1887,  a 
supplemental  act  was  passed,  known  as  the  Edmunds-Tucker 
law.  This  gave  additional  powers  to  the  officers,  required 
certificates  of  all  marriages  to  be  filed  in  the  offices  of  the  pro- 
bate courts  (whose  judges  were  appointed  by  the  President  of 
the  United  States),  disincorporated  the  Church,  and  ordered 
the  Supreme  Court  to  wind  up  its  affairs,  and  to  take  posses- 
sion of  its  escheated  property. 

Many  thousand  persons  were  disfranchised.  A  test  oath 
was  subscribed  to  by  those  "Mormons"  who  decided  to  retain 
their  rights  of  franchise,  the  election  machinery  having  been 
placed  in  the  hands  of  a  commission  of  five  appointed  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States.  Their  political  rights  thus 
interdicted,  the  "Mormons"  were  set  upon  by  the  judiciary. 
Mr.  Rudger  Clawson*  was  the  first  to  answer  the  charge  in 
the  courts.  He  was  found  guilty  and  sentenced,  November  3, 
1884,  to  four  years'  imprisonment,  and  to  pay  a  fine  of  $800. 
Then  followed  an  unjustifiably  cruel  legal  persecution.  Up- 
wards of  a  thousand  men  were  sent  to  the  penitentiary  because 
they  would  not  promise  to  obey  the  law  and  thus  discard  their 
families.  Hundreds  were  driven  into  retirement  or  exile; 
families  were  broken  up.  There  was  untold  sorrow  and  heart- 


*Afterwards  president  of  the  Box  Elder  stake  of  Zion,  later  a  member  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve  apostles,  and  on  Nov.  23,  1918,  chosen  Acting  President  of  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  127 

suffering  in  their  midst.  Juries,  obtained  by  open  venire,  were 
unanimous  in  obeying  the  bidding  of  over-zealous  prosecuting 
attorneys  who  were  determined  on  conviction.  As  a  rule,  to 
be  suspected  was  equivalent  to  arrest,  arrest  to  indictment, 
indictment  to  conviction,  conviction  to  the  full  penalty  of  the 
law.  Unprincipled,  some  of  them  very  immoral,  adventurers 
dogged  the  steps  or  raided  the  homes  of  respectable  veterans, 
founders  of  the  commonwealth.  Government  aided  in  the 
enforcement  of  the  law  by  increased  special  appropriations. 
Paid  spotters  and  spies  prowled  among  the  people.  Children 
were  questioned  about  their  parents'  affairs;  wives,  daughters 
and  maidens  were  often  compelled  to  submit  to  the  shame- 
fully indecent  questions  with  which  professional  grand  juries 
pestered  them.  The  Saints  were  passing  through  a  night  of 
dreary  darkness.  Bereft  of  the  counsels  and  presence  of  their 
leaders,  torn  with  anguish,  they  were  taught  the  lesson  of  self- 
reliance,  dependence  upon  the  Lord,  faith  in  God.  As  a  com- 
munity they  never  faltered,  never  permitted  themselves  to  be 
led  into  acts  of  violence  against  their  persecutors,  though  the 
provocations  were  numerous  and  ample.  Their  enemies,  too, 
desired  that  they  might  commit  some  overt  act  that  a  pretext 
might  be  found  for  their  utter  destruction. 

Under  these  circumstances,  President  John  Taylor,  who  had 
retired  from  public  view  February  1,  1885,  died  in  exile,  July 
25,  1887.  Thus  mourned  by  Israel  in  bondage,  he  passed  away 
a  double  martyr  to  the  cause  he  loved,  for  with  him  it  was 
"The  Kingdom  of  God  or  nothing."  Said  his  counselors  in 
the  official  announcement  of  his  death:  "President  John  Taylor 
has  been  killed  by  the  cruelty  of  officials  who  have  in  this 
territory  misrepresented  the  Government  of  the  United  States." 

3.     Changed  Conditions.— Wilf or d  Woodruff  President. 

Upon  the  Twelve  Apostles,  with  Wilford  Woodruff  as 
chief,  now  devolved  the  responsibility  of  the  presidency. 
Apostles  Cannon  and  Smith  took  their  former  places  in  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve.  In  this  capacity,  the  apostles  continued 
to  act  until  the  annual  conference  in  1889,  when  the  First 
Presidency,  for  the  fourth  time,  was  organized,  on  the  7th 
day  of  April,  Wilford  Woodruff  being  chosen  President.  He 


128  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

selected  George  Q.  Cannon  and  Joseph  F.  Smith  as  his  coun- 
selors. 

The  crusade  continued  unabated,  probably  with  less 
hardship,  since  the  people  were  in  a  measure  adjusting  them- 
selves to  their  trying  conditions.  The  political  history  of  this 
period  was  as  full  of  acts  breathing  bitterness  against  the 
Latter-day  Saints  as  was  the  judicial.  The  executive  was  in 
full  harmony  with  the  judiciary,  and  their  united  efforts  to 
crush  the  people  will  some  day  appear  as  little  to  their  credit  as 
the  history  of  these  times,  once  told  in  full,  will  redound  to  the 
honor  of  the  afflicted  Saints. 

In  the  courts,  the  "Mormons"  contested  every  step  taken 
by  the  Government  to  deprive  them  of  what  they  considered 
their  religious  rights.  They  deemed  plural  marriage  part  of 
their  creed  and  faith,  hence,  strongly  maintained  that  Congress 
could  make  no  law  prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof.  But 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  nation,  before  which  tribunal  the 
laws  were  finally  tested,  while  condemning  some  of  the  cruel 
and  unjust  methods  of  enforcing  the  law,  decided  that  the  en- 
actment to  suppress  plural  marriage  was  constitutional,  and 
that  the  first  amendment  to  the  Constitution,  providing  for 
the  free  exercise  of  religion,  cannot  be  used  to  defend  this 
doctrine. 

Meanwhile,  the  Government  continued  unyielding  in  its 
determination  to  suppress  the  practice,  having  in  contempla- 
tion and  threatening  the  adoption  of  still  harsher  measures 
than  used  heretofore. 

It  was  while  the  Saints  were  in  the  midst  of  these  afflictions 
that  President  Woodruff  sought  the  Lord  in  their  behalf, 
and  in  answer  to  his  petitions  of  anguish,  received  the  word  of 
the  Lord  authorizing  him  to  advise  the  Saints  to  discontinue 
the  practice  of  plural  marriage. 

A  manifesto  to  this  effect  was  issued  on  the  24th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1890,  and  at  the  following  semi-annual  conference,  Octo- 
ber 6,  the  assembled  Saints  accepted  the  declaration  of  their 
leader  concerning  plural  marriage  as  authoritative  and  binding. 
Since  then,  the  doctrine  has  neither  been  taught  nor  practiced. 

The  people  had  done  their  duty.  God  revealed  the  doc- 
trine to  them;  He  it  was  who  authorized  its  suspension.  In  the 
face  of  appalling  opposition  they  had  firmly  and  openly  de- 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  129 

fended  it  for  thirty  years.  They  were  justified  by  their  sacri- 
fice and  suffering.  God  accepted  of  their  offerings  as  he  had 
done  once  before,  when  they  were  hindered  in  the  performance 
of  his  will,  in  Jackson  county.*  The  design  of  God  so  far  had 
been  accomplished.  In  defending  themselves,  they  had  been 
given  the  privilege  to  explain  the  gospel,  to  bear  their  testi- 
monies to  the  mission  of  so-called  "Mormonism,"  in,  the 
Nation's  high  places  under  other  conditions  rendered  inacces- 
sible. 

Looked  upon  at  first  with  some  suspicion,  the  Govern- 
ment and  people  of  the  Nation  at  length  believed  the  Saints 
sincere,  as  they  are,  in  their  avowal  to  discontinue  plural  mar- 
riages. This,  with  the  change  in  political  affairs  wrought  by 
the  disruption  of  their  People's  ("Mormon")  political  party, 
and  the  adoption  by  them  of  National  politics,  by  which  the 
Saints,  theretofore  united  in  all  things,  became  politically 
divided,  brought  about  an  era  of  "good  feelings  and  changed 
conditions." 

4.     The  Temples  of  the  Saints. 

A  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  Latter-day  Saints 
is  that  they  are  a  temple-building  people,  resembling,  in  this 
respect,  Israel  of  old.  As  to  the  purpose  and  motive  behind 
this  distinguishing  trait — the  modern  temple  service  of  the 
Saints — it  must  be  remembered  that  ceremonies  and  ordi- 
nances in  the  temples  are  for  the  living,  who  are  present,  of 
course,  but  largely,  also,  for  the  benefit  and  salvation  of  the 
dead  who  are  represented  each  by  a  living  proxy. 

The  work  comprises: 

1.  Baptism  for  the  living  and  for  the  dead. 

2.  Ordinances  and  endowments  in  the  Priesthood. 

3.  Marriage  ceremonies.    The  Saints  regard  the  marriage 
ceremony   in   the   temples   as   the   only   perfect   matrimonial 
alliance. 

4.  Other  sealing  ordinances;  embracing  the  sealing  of 
children  in  the  family  relationship. 


*Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  124,  verses  49  to  54. 
Roberts'  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  p.  416,  notes  6,  7,  8. 


130  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Temples  were  erected,  first  in  Kirtland,  Ohio,  then  in 
Nauvoo,  Illinois. 

Four  magnificent  temples,  in  which  the  Saints  are  doing  a 
noble  work  for  the  living  and  the  dead,  have  been  reared  in 
Utah  to  the  name  of  God — one  in  St.  George,  dedicated  April, 
1877;  one  in  Logan,  dedicated  May  17,  1884;  one  in  Manti, 
dedicated  May  21,  1888;  one  in  Salt  Lake  City,  dedicated 
April  6,  1893.  The  completion  and  dedication  of  the  temple 
in  Salt  Lake  City  were  among  the  most  important  Church 
events  in  the  administration  of  President  Woodruff. 

At  the  annual  conference,  April  6,  1892,  the  capstone  was 
laid,  the  ceremonies  taking  place  in  the  presence  of  forty  thou- 
sand people — the  largest  assemblage  ever  congregated  together 
in  the  history  of  the  Church.  Nearly  all  the  leading  authorities 
were  present  to  swell  the  "Hosanna"  shouts  of  the  Saints  who 
had  come  to  witness  the  ceremonies  for  which  they  had  longed 
and  waited  these  many  years.  Services  at  10  a.  m.  on  the 
morning  of  the  6th  were  first  held  in  the  tabernacle.  The  great 
audience  of  ten  thousand,  with  many  thousands  who  could  not 
gain  admission,  adjourned  to  the  south  side  of  the  temple  at 
11  a.  m.  First  in  the  march  came  the  choir,  then  the  First 
Presidency,  the  apostles,  followed  by  the  other  quorums  of 
the  priesthood,  in  their  order,  to  the  least.  The  ceremonies, 
though  simple,  have  never  been  excelled  for  enthusiasm  and 
impressiveness  in  the  history  of  the  people.  After  music  and 
song,  prayer  having  been  offered  by  President  Joseph  F.  Smith, 
all  things  being  in  readiness,  President  Wilford  Woodruff 
stepped  to  the  front  of  the  platform,  saying:  "Attention,  all 
ye  house  of  Israel,  and  all  ye  nations  of  the  earth.  We  will  now 
lay  the  topstone  of  the  temple  of  our  God  the  foundation  of 
which  was  laid  and  dedicated  by  the  Prophet,  Seer,  and  Reve- 
lator,  Brigham  Young."  He  then  pressed  a  button,  and,  by 
means  of  electricity,  the  last  stone  of  the  holy  structure  was 
laid.  Then  followed  a  grand  effect;  forty  thousand  voices, 
led  by  Apostle  Lorenzo  Snow,  shouted  in  concert,  "Hosanna, 
hosanna,  hosanna  to  God  and  the  Lamb.  Amen,  amen  and 
amen!"  This  was  repeated  three  times,  each  shout  being  ac- 
companied by  a  waving  of  handkerchiefs.  A  resolution  was 
then  adopted,  amid  cheers  from  the  vast  assembly,  to  complete 
the  building  so  that  the  dedication  might  take  place  on  April 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  131 

6,  1893.     After  a  closing  anthem,  the  benediction  was  pro- 
nounced by  President  George  Q.  Cannon. 

With  energy  and  determination,  work  was  now  pushed 
with  a  view  to  complete  the  interior  of  the  grand  structure  by 
the  appointed  time,  an  undertaking  which  seemed  almost  im- 
possible in  so  short  a  period.  However,  the  people  donated 
liberally  of  their  means,  the  best  workmen  were  employed,  and 
with  the  blessings  of  God  upon  their  labors,  the  task  was  ac- 
complished. 

On  Tuesday,  April  4,  1893,  the  annual  conference  began  in 
the  tabernacle,  continuing  for  two  days.  On  the  morning  of 
the  6th,  2,500  people  who  had  been  provided  with  tickets  of 
admission  met  in  the  large  assembly  room  on  the  upper  floor 
of  the  temple,  having  first  viewed  the  rich  and  magnificent 
interior  furnishings.  All  the  general  authorities  of  the  Church 
were  present — the  first  time  for  many  years  that  the  First 
Presidency,  Twelve  Apostles,  Patriarch,  Presiding  Council  of 
Seventies,  and  Presiding  Bishopric,  all  had  been  able  to  meet 
together  in  an  assemblage  of  the  Saints.  A  select  choir  of 
three  hundred  voices,  led  by  Evan  Stephens,  sang  an  anthem, 
after  which  President  Woodruff  offered  the  dedicatory  prayer. 
This  was  followed  by  appropriate,  instructive  and  consoling 
remarks  from  Presidents  Cannon,  Woodruff  and  Smith.  The 
Lord  will  comfort  Zion;  the  day  when  his  rich  favor  will  be 
bestowed  upon  her  is  at  hand;  union  characterizes  the  Priest- 
hood— was  the  burden  of  their  speech — prophecies  fulfilled  in 
the  following  years.  Forgiveness  and  charity  were  gloriously 
impressed  upon  the  Saints,  who  were  assured  of  a  brighter 
day  in  store  for  them  than  they  had  ever  yet  experienced. 
The  Spirit  bore  testimony  to  every  soul  present  that  God  had 
accepted  the  house  now  dedicated  to  him.  Many  were  moved 
to  tears  of  joy.  The  toils  and  sacrifices  of  forty  years  received 
their  crowning  triumph  in  the  revelation  from  God  to  each 
member  of  the  Church  who  attended,  that  He  had  accepted 
of  the  temple  as  a  habitation  holy  to  His  name. 

In  the  afternoon,  another  congregation  of  the  Saints  con- 
vened, then  followed  meetings  until  thirty-one  had  been  held, 
the  average  attendance  of  each  being  2,260,  making  a  total  of 
70,000  people  who  witnessed  the  dedication  ceremonies.  There 
were,  besides,  fifteen  thousand  Sunday  School  children,  for 


132  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

whom  special  services  were  held,  making  a  grand  total  of  85,000. 
Members  of  the  Church  attended  from  every  stake  of  Zion,  as 
follows:  Alberta,  Canada;  Snowflake,  St.  Johns,  St.  Joseph  and 
Maricopa,  Arizona;  Bannock,  Cassia,  Malad,  Bear  Lake,  and 
Oneida,  Idaho;  San  Luis,  Colorado;  Star  Valley,  Wyoming; 
Beaver,  San  Juan,  St.  George,  Panguitch,  Emery,  Parowan, 
Uintah,  Millard,  Morgan,  Summit,  Sevier,  Sanpete,  Cache, 
Wasatch,  Weber,  Tooele,  Juab,  Utah,  Davis,  Kanab,  Salt 
Lake,  losepa  and  Box  Elder,  Utah;  and  Old  Mexico.* 

The  closing  session  of  the  services  was  held  on  the  after- 
noon of  Monday,  April  24,  1893,  and  the  temple  was  opened 
for  ordinances  early  in  May  following. 

Two  temples  have  recently  been  built,  one  in  Cardston, 
Canada,  and  one  in  Laie,  Territory  of  Hawaii.  A  building  site 
for  another  temple  was  selected  near  Mesa,  Arizona,  at  the 
Maricopa  stake  conference,  January,  1920,  by  President  Heber 
J.  Grant. 

The  Cardston  temple  site  was  dedicated  July,  1913,  by 
President  Joseph  F.  Smith.  The  corner  stone  was  laid  by 
David  O.  McKay,  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  August,  1915, 
and  the  cap-stone  by  President  H.  S.  Allen,  of  the  Taylor 
stake,  August,  1917.  The  building  is  square,  measuring  165 
feet  each  way  and  is  lifted  up  by  an  artistic  retaining  wall 
enclosing  a  space  of  235  feet  each  way,  each  side  facing  the 
four  main  points  of  the  compass.  The  entrance  is  on  the 
west  through  the  annex.  The  structure  is  built  of  granite 
from  the  famous  Katoonai  Lake  district,  British  Columbia. 

This  temple  now  completed  (1920)  but  not  yet  dedicated, 
is  the  first  edifice  of  the  kind  built  in  the  British  Empire,  all 
other  temples  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  being  erected  within 
the  territory  of  the  United  States. 

The  first  temple  built  outside  of  continental  America  was 
erected  at  Laie,  T.  H.  It  was  decided  at  the  October  confer- 
ence, in  1915,  to  erect  a  temple  there.  On  the  first  day  of  June, 
of  that  year,  the  birthday  of  President  Brigham  Young, 
President  Joseph  F.  Smith,  accompanied  by  Elder  Charles 
W.  Nibley  and  Elder  Reed  Smoot,  repaired  to  the  hill  where  the 


*For  a  complete  account  of  the  dedication  services  see  Contributor,   Vol.   14,   page 
243. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  133 

temple  is  now  located  and  dedicated  the  site.  Work  was  begun 
early  in  1916,  and  on  Thanksgiving  day,  November  27,  1919, 
the  building  was  dedicated  by  President  Heber  J.  Grant,  in 
a  most  inspiring  and  impressive  prayer.  Five  meetings  were 
held  to  accommodate  the  Saints,  and  there  were  eighty-one 
speakers  in  all,  while  1,239  people  attended  the  five  services. 
The  Spirit  of  God  was  richly  manifest,  leaving  no  doubt  in  the 
minds  of  the  people  that  the  Lord  accepted  the  building  and 
labors  of  the  Saints. 

The  structure  measures  102  feet  east  and  west  and  78  feet 
north  and  south.  The  central  portion  of  the  one-story  edifice 
rises  to  the  height  of  50  feet  above  the  upper  terrace.  The 
general  ground  plan  is  in  the  form  of  a  Greek  cross.  It  is  said 
by  the  architects,  Pope  and  Burton,  that  if  the  now  generally 
accepted  equivalent  for  the  ancient  cubit  is  correct,  the  ancient 
temple  of  Solomon  had  about  the  same  cubical  contents  as  this 
temple  in  Hawaii.  The  upper  part  of  the  temple  has  four 
sculptured  f  reizes,  one  on  each  side  of  the  building,  depicting  in 
bold  relief  leading  events  in  the  four  principal  dispensations, 
by  Leo  J.  and  Avard  Fairbanks. 

5.     Utah  Admitted  to  the  Union  of  States. 

The  crowning  political  event  in  the  administration  of 
President  Woodruff  was  the  admission  of  Utah  to  the  sister- 
hood of  states.  The  enabling  act  was  passed  by  Congress 
July  10,  and  approved  by  President  Grover  Cleveland  on  July 
16,  1894,  having  been  first  introduced  by  Delegate  Joseph  L. 
Rawlins,  and  passed  by  the  House  of  Representatives  on 
December  13,  of  the  previous  year.  The  long-prayed-for 
document  was  entitled,  "An  Act  to  enable  the  people  of  Utah 
to  form  a  constitution  and  state  government,  and  to  be  ad- 
mitted into  the  Union  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  original 
states."*  It  provided  in  detail  for  the  method  of  procedure 
to  attain  the  desirable  end  for  which  the  people,  for  lo  these 
many  years,  had  labored  diligently,  but  in  vain.  But,  as  if 
to  test  the  sincerity  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  in  their  declara- 
tions to  suspend  the  practice  of  polygamy,  the  consummation 

*For  a  copy,  see  Vol.  1,  "Proceedings  Constitutional  Convention,  Utah,"  page  3. 


134  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

was  postponed  for  nearly  two  years.  It  is  provided  that  on 
the  first  day  of  August,  1894,  there  should  be  issued  a  procla- 
mation ordering  the  election  of  one  hundred  and  seven  dele- 
gates from  the  twenty-six  counties  in  the  Territory,  to  be  held 
on  the  Tuesday  next  after  the  first  Monday  in  November  fol- 
lowing. These  delegates,  so  elected,  are  ordered  to  "meet  at 
the  seat  of  government  of  said  Territory  on  the  first  Monday 
in  March,  1895,"  there  to  declare  on  behalf  of  the  people  that 
they  adopt  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  whereupon 
they  were  authorized  to  form  a  constitution  and  state  govern- 
ment for  the  proposed  State  of  Utah.  A  sum  of  $30,000  was 
appropriated  for  defraying  the  expenses  of  said  convention,  and 
for  the  payment  of  the  members  thereof,  under  the  same  regu- 
lations as  provided  for  the  payment  of  the  territorial  legislature. 

Accordingly,  on  August  1,  1894,  Hon.  Charles  C.  Richards, 
Secretary  of  the  Territory  and  acting  Governor,  in  the  absence 
of  Governor  Caleb  W.  West,  took  the  first  local  step  towards 
statehood,  and  towards  complying  with  the  regulations  of  the 
enabling  act,  by  issuing  a  proclamation,  congratulating  the 
people  upon  the  auspicious  occasion,  and  ordering  that  an 
election  be  held,  "on  Tuesday  next  after  the  first  Monday  in 
November,  1894,"  for  the  purpose  of  electing  the  107  delegates 
to  form  such  constitutional  convention.* 

The  election  was  held  as  provided;  and,  in  further  com- 
pliance with  the  provisions  of  the  enabling  act,  the  delegates 
elected  to  the  Convention  to  adopt  a  constitution  for  the  State 
of  Utah  assembled  at  Salt  Lake  City,  on  Monday,  March  4, 
1895,  at  noon,  and  proceeded  with  their  work  in  conformity 
with  the  provisions  of  the  enabling  act. 

A  complete  organization  was  effected  in  the  course  of 
seven  days,  with  John  Henry  Smith,  of  Salt  Lake  City,  as 
president,  and  Parley  P.  Christensen,  of  Grantsville,  as  secre- 
tary. The  honor  of  opening  the  convention  by  prayer  was 
accorded  to  President  Wilford  Woodruff,  but  he  being  indis- 


*The  delegates  were  apportioned  as  follows  among  the  existing  counties:  Beaver,  2; 
Box  Elder,  4;  Cache,  8;  Davis,  3;  Emery,  3;  Garfield,  1;  Grand,  1;  Iron,  1;  Juab,  3;  Kane,  1; 
Millard,  2;  Morgan,  1;  Piute,  1;  Rich,  1;  Salt  Lake— Salt  Lake  City,  First  precinct,  4; 
Salt  Lake  City,  Second  precinct,  6;  Salt  Lake  City,  Third  precinct,  5;  Salt  Lake  City, 
Fourth  precinct,  3;  Salt  Lake  City,  Fifth  precinct  3;  all  precincts  outside  of  Salt  Lake  City, 
8;  San  Juan,  1;  Sanpete,  7;  Sevier,3;  Summit,  4;  Tooele,  2;  Uintah,  1;  Utah,  12;  Wasatch, 
2;  Washington,  2;  Wayne,  1;  Weber,  11. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  135 

posed,  it  was  granted  to  President  George  Q.  Cannon,  who  asked 
the  divine  blessing.  For  sixty-six  days  the  labor  went  on. 
Finally,  on  Wednesday,  May  8,  1895,  our  present  state  con- 
stitution, since  slightly  amended,  was  adopted.* 

With  the  constitution  was  an  address  presenting  the  re- 
sults of  the  Convention's  labors  for  the  consideration  of  the 
people  of  Utah,  and  submitting  the  constitution  with  "steady 
swelling  confidence"  in  the  certain  belief  that  the  voters  would, 
by  an  overwhelming  majority,  endorse  and  ratify  their  work. 
The  Constitution  granted  the  franchise,  after  its  adoption,  to 
the  women  of  the  State. 

On  the  5th  day  of  November  following,  the  regular  election 
was  held,  and  the  result  showed  the  Constitution  adopted  by 
a  majority  of  23,618,  the  total  vote  being  31,305,  leaving  a 
No  vote  of  only  7,687,  as  officially  reported  by  the  Utah  Com- 
mission, the  Canvassing  Board,  December  4,  1895. 

Hon.  Heber  M.  Wells  was  chosen  Governor  and  James  T. 
Hammond  Secretary  of  State.  The  supreme  judges  were 
Charles  S.  Zane,  J.  A.  Miner  and  G.  W.  Bartch;  C.  E.  Allen 
was  elected  Representative  to  Congress;  and  the  Legislature, 
which  like  the  State  ticket  was  Republican,  later  chose  Hon. 
Arthur  L.  Brown  and  Hon.  Frank  J.  Cannon,  the  first  Senators 
from  Utah. 

The  officers  entered  upon  their  duties,  and  Utah,  at  length, 
auspiciously  upon  her  career  of  statehood,  on  the  sixth  day  of 
January,  1896.** 

*There  were  99  members  who  voted  aye  to  the  final  adoption,  and  only  eight  absent. 
The  $30,000  appropriated  was  spent;  and  there  was  a  deficiency  of  $9,599.50  due  the  mem- 
bers and  for  revising  the  stenographers'  notes. 

**A  full  list  of  the  names  of  the  members  of  the  Utah  Constitutional  Convention  fol- 
lows: (See  "Proceedings  Constitutional  Convention,"  Vol.  2,  pp.  1883-4.) 

John  Henry  Smith,  President,  Thomas  H.  Clark,  Jr. 

Parley  P.  Christensen,  Secretary,  Lois  Laville  Coray, 

Louis  Bernhardt  Adams,  Elmer  Ellsworth  Corfman, 

Rufus  Albern   Allen,  Charles  Crane, 

Andrew  Smith   Anderson,  William  Creer, 

John    Richard    Barnes,  George  Cunningham, 

John  Rutledge  Bowdle,  Arthur  John  Cushing, 

John  Sell  Boyer,  William  Driver, 

Theodore  Brandley,  Dennis  Clay  Eichnor, 

Herbert  Guion  Button,  Alma    Eldredge, 

William  Buys,  George  Rhodes  Emery, 

Chester  Call,  Andreas  Engberg, 

George  Mousley  Cannon,  David  Evans, 

John  Foy  Chidester,  Abel  John   Evans, 

Parley    Christiansen,  Lorin    Farr, 


136 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


6.     The  Pioneer  Jubilee. 


Fifty  years  had  now  nearly  elapsed  since  the  pioneers  set 
feet  upon  the  desert  soil  of  Utah. 

On  the  first  of  March,  1897,  President  Wilford  Woodruff, 
then  the  oldest  of  the  noble  band,  celebrated  his  90th  birthday, 
by  a  grand  gathering  of  his  friends  and  admirers,  at  the  great 
tabernacle  in  Salt  Lake  City.  The  building  was  completely 
filled,  there  being  present  the  Governor,  members  of  the 
legislature  and  many  other  public  officials,  "Mormon"  and 
"Gentile" — an  indication  of  the  complete  harmony  at  length 
existing  among  all  classes  of  the  people.  The  venerable  presi- 
dent shook  hands  with  nearly  the  entire  assembly,  and  then 
attended  a  dinner  party  of  his  immediate  friends  at  his  resi- 


Samuel  Francis, 
William  Henry  Gibbs, 
Charles   Carrol   Goodwin, 
James   Frederic   Green, 
Francis  Asbury   Hammond, 
Charles  Henry  Hart, 
Harry  Haynes' 
John   Daniel   Holladay, 
Robert  W.  Heybourne, 
Samuel  Hood  Hill, 
William    Howard, 
Henry  Hughes. 
Joseph  Alonzo  Hyde, 
Anthony   Woodward   Ivins, 
William  F.   James, 
Lycurgus  Johnson, 
Joseph  Loftus  Jolley, 
Frederick  John   Kiesel, 
David    Keith. 
Thomas   Kearns,  . 
William  Jasper  Kerr, 
Andrew    Kimball, 
James  Nathaniel  Kimball, 
Richard  G.  Lambert, 
Lauritz    Larsen, 
Christen  Peter  Larsen, 
Hyrum  Lemmon, 
Theodore    Belden    Lewis, 
William  Lowe, 
Peter    Lowe, 
James  Patton  Low, 
Anthony  Canute  Lund, 
Karl  G.   Maeser, 
Richard  Mackintosh, 
Thomas    Maloney, 
William  H.  Maughan, 
Robert    McFarland, 
George  P.  Miller, 
Elias    Morris, 
Jacob  Moritz, 


John  Riggs  Murdock, 
James  David  Murdock, 
Joseph  Royal  Murdock, 
Aquila     Nebeker, 
Jeremiah   Day   Page, 
Edward   Partridge, 
J.    D.    Peters, 
Mons    Peterson, 
James  Christian  Peterson, 
Franklin    Pierce, 
William  B.  Preston, 
Alonzo  Hazelton  Raleigh, 
Franklin  Snyder  Richards, 
Joel  Ricks. 

Brigham  Henry  Roberts, 
Jasper    Robertson, 
Joseph   Eldredge   Robinson, 
William   Eugene   Robinson, 
George  Ryan, 
John  Henry  Smith, 
George  B.  Squires, 
William    Gilson    Sharp, 
Harrison  Tuttle  Shurtliff, 
Edward    Hunter    Snow, 
Hyrum   Hupp   Spencer, 
David  Brainard  Stover, 
Charles   Nattleton   Strevell, 
Charles  William   Symons, 
Daniel   Thompson, 
Moses    Thatcher, 
Ingwald  Conrad  Thoresen, 
Joseph   Ephraim  Thome, 
Samuel  R.  Thurman, 
William   Grant  Van  Home, 
Charles  Stetson  Varian, 
Heber  M.  Wells, 
Noble  Warrum,  Jr., 
Orson  Ferguson  Whitney, 
Joseph    John    Williams, 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  13? 

dence,  .manifesting  no  signs  of  fatigue  after  the  ordeal  he  had 
passed   through. 

But  the  people  of  the  state  also  were  about  to  celebrate 
the  semi-centennial  of  the  arrival  of  Utah's  pioneers.  The  idea 
of  having  a  celebration  commemorating  the  fiftieth  anniversary 
of  the  founding  of  Utah  was  first  expressed  in  the  first  message 
of  Governor  Heber  M.  Wells,  read  to  the  first  state  legislature, 
on  January  8,  1896.  He  recommended  the  holding  of  an  "In- 
termountain  Fair,"  in  1897,  under  the  direction  of  the  Deseret 
Agricultural  and  Manufacturing  Society,  suggesting  that  no 
state  fair  be  held  in  1896,  but  that  all  the  funds  and  energies 
be  reserved  for  the  celebration  of  1897.  The  suggestion  found  a 
ready  response,  and  $5,000  were  appropriated  by  said  legisla- 
ture, to  be  expended  by  a  commission  of  ten  persons  to  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  Governor.  These  were  to  appoint  a  chairman 
and  secretary  from  among  their  own  number,  and  the  com- 
mission were  to  control  the  celebration  and  serve  without  pay. 
They  were  instructed  in  the  act  to  "conduct  a  semi-centennial 
celebration  in  1897  of  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  arrival  of 
the  Utah  pioneers  in  Utah."  In  November  of  the  same  year, 
Governor  Wells  named  the  personnel  of  the  Utah  Semi-Cen- 
tennial  Commission:  Spencer  Clawson,  E.  F.  Colburn,  C.  R. 
Savage,  E.  G.  Rognon,  Horace  G.  Whitney,  Mrs.  George  Y. 
Wallace  and  Mrs.  A.  W.  McCune  of  Salt  Lake  City;  Jos. 
Stanford  of  Ogden;  John  Murdock  of  Beaver;  and  Mrs.  R.  C. 
Easton  of  Logan.  These  organized  the  same  month,  with 
Spencer  Clawson  chairman;  E.  G.  Rognon  secretary;  and 
Mrs.  Geo.  Y.  Wallace  treasurer.  In  January,  1897,  the  second 
state  legislature  was  induced  to  increase  the  appropriation  to 
$15,000;  and,  some  of  the  commission  having  resigned,  others 
were  appointed  to  the  number  of  fifteen,  as  follows:  Spencer 
Clawson,  E.  F.  Colburn,  E.  G.  Rognon,  J.  D.  Spencer,  Jacob 
Moritz,  W.  A.  Neldon,  E.  A.  Smith,  W.  B.  Preston,  Horace  G. 
Whitney,  Mrs.  Geo.  Y.  Wallace,  Miss  Emily  Katz  and  Miss 
Cora  Hooper  of  Salt  Lake;  Reed  Smoot  of  Provo;  Mayor  H.  H. 
Spencer  of  Ogden;  and  Mrs.  R.  C.  Easton  of  Logan.  The 
Commission  set  to  work  immediately  to  make  the  needed 
preparation,  the  munificent  gifts  of  the  Church,  the  railroads, 
and  the  public  resulting  in  a  magnificent  celebration. 


138  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

The  first  of  its  main  features  was  the  unveiling  of  the 
monument  of  President  Brigham  Young  and  the  Pioneers, 
on  Tuesday,  July  20.*  All  the  pioneers  of  1847,  who  could  be 
found  in  the  state  and  elsewhere  had  been  given  free  transpor- 
tation and  entertainment  to  and  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  were 
present  surrounding  the  platform  upon  which  stood  the  gover- 
nor of  the  state,  and  Wilford  Woodruff,  the  foremost  of  the 
surviving  veteran  band.  The  statue  was  unveiled  in 
their  presence  and  the  dedicatory  prayer  offered  by  President 
Woodruff.  It  was  an  impressive,  significant  and  gratifying 
spectacle,  suggestive  of  many  thoughts  of  wonder,  admiration 
and  thanks  to  God  for  the  marvelous  works  and  transformations 
of  the  fifty  years  completed.  On  that  same  afternoon,  five 
hundred  surviving  pioneers  were  by  the  citizens  of  Salt  Lake 
tendered  a  public  reception  in  the  tabernacle.  Here  a  prize 
poem  by  N.  Albert  Sherman  was  read;  the  prize  ode,  by  Pro- 
fessor Evan  Stephens,  words  by  Orson  F.  Whitney,  was  sung 
by  a  choir  of  a  thousand  voices;  and  over  five  hundred  gold 
badges  were  distributed  to  the  pioneers  present.** 

On  the  second  day  (21st),  there  was  a  magnificent  "Pag- 
eant of  progress"  illustrating  the  development  of  Utah  from 
1847  to  1897,  giving  a  history,  in  living  pictures  on  wheels,  of 
the  prior  condition  and  the  progressive  changes  of  intervening 
years. 

The  third  day  (22nd),  was  children's  day,  and  there  was 
a  parade  of  ten  thousand  children  from  Salt  Lake,  Weber  and 
Davis  counties.  Passing  the  Pioneer  Monument,  this  host  of 
little  ones  fairly  buried  its  pedestal  in  a  heap  of  flowers; 
then  going  to  the  tabernacle,  President  Woodruff  was  crowned 


*The  Pioneer  Monument  Association  was  organized  in  1891.  The  design  for  the  monu- 
ment was  given  to  C.  E.  Dallin,  a  native  of  Utah,  who  had  attained  an  enviable  reputation 
as  a  sculptor  in  the  art  centers  of  Europe.  The  monument  cost  about  $35,000,  which  has 
been  mainly  contributed  by  the  people  in  the  various  stakes  of  Zion  in  small  amounts. 
While  the  monument  was  unveiled  as  stated  above,  it  was  not  until  July  24,  1900,  that  the 
bas-relief  of  the  Pioneer  Group,  and  the  figures  of  the  Indian  and  Trapper  were  placed  in 
position  and  unveiled.  See  article  on  "Pioneer  Monument"  by  Hon.  Spencer  Clawson, 
Improvement  Era,  Vol.  3,  p.  881. 

**Horace  G.  Whitney,  in  a  "Review  of  the  Jubilee,"  Improvement  Era,  volume  1,  page 
65,  to  which  the  reader  is  referred  for  an  account  in  detail  of  the  celebration,  writes  that  up 
to  October  15,  badges  were  also  sent  to  the  surviving  absent  pioneers.  Altogether  710 
pioneers  had  so  far  been  recorded. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  139 

by  them  with  flowers.*  The  night  was  given  over  to  a  pageant 
representing  "Salt  Lake,  Real  and  Fanciful." 

Among  the  splendors  of  the  closing  day  was  the  grand 
parade,  including  the  original  wagon  train,  the  touching  march 
of  the  grayhaired,  trembling  pioneers,  who  with  President 
Woodruff,  who  rode  in  the  procession  and  on  the  way,  were 
received  with  salvos  of  cheers  which  they  smilingly  acknowl- 
edged. The  display  of  fireworks  from  Capitol  Hill,  witnessed 
by  at  least  sixty  thousand  people,  brought  the  festivities  to 
a  close. 

The  celebration  was  a  grand  success  as  an  honor  and  a 
tribute  to  the  noble  pioneers,  as  an  entertainment,  as  a  reviver 
of  memories  and  impresser  of  the  young,  an  advertiser  of  the 
resources  of  Utah,  and  a  panorama  of  her  fifty  years  of  progress. 
It  was  a  financial  success  as  well,  for  after  paying  their  expenses, 
the  commission  had  a  surplus  of  $2,000  besides  its  Hall  of  Relics. 
It  united,  also,  more  closely  in  interest  and  feeling  all  the  people 
of  the  state,  who  met  upon  a  common  platform,  with  malice 
towards  none,  to  glorify  the  achievements  of  the  "Mormon" 
Pioneers. 

7.     Utah  in  the  War  with  Spain. 

It  was  on  the  15th  day  of  February,  1898,  that  the  United 
States  Battleship  "Maine"  was  blown  up  while  anchored  in 
the  Havana  harbor,  Cuba,  its  destruction  being  doubtless  due 
to  the  treachery  of  Spanish  officers.  The  affair  led  to  a  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Spain  which  was  practically 
declared  in  a  resolution  passed  by  the  lower  house  of  Congress 
on  April  13,  following,  supplemented  by  a  resolution  of  the 
Senate  on  Saturday,  the  16th,  declaring  Cuban  independence, 
and  on  the  18th,  a  joint  resolution  of  Congress  to  the  same 
effect.  The  war  really  began  on  the  21st,  while  the  first  gun 
was  fired  by  the  American  cruiser,  "Nashville,"  which  caused 
the  surrender  of  a  Spanish  lumber  merchant  vessel,  "Buena 
Ventura."  On  the  23rd,  President  William  McKinley  called 


*Ida  Taylor  Whitaker,  a  granddaughter  of  President  Taylor,  represented  the  chil- 
dren, and  said:  "As  one  of  the  descendants  of  Utah's  1847  pioneers,  I  crown  you,  the  oldest 
of  that  noble  band  present  here  today,  and  pray  God's  blessing  on  you  and  all  your  pioneer 
companions."  An  appropriate  program  was  presented  to  a  large  congregation  of  assembled 
people  from  all  parts  of  the  state. 


140  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

for  125,000  volunteers,  and  this  was  followed  by  proclamation 
from  Governor  Heber  M.  Wells  calling  for  Utah's  quota,  five 
hundred  strong,  to  serve  two  years.  The  colored  soldiers 
stationed  at  Fort  Douglas,  and  who  afterwards  became  famous 
as  the  heroes  of  San  Juan  Hill,  had  already  (on  the  20th) 
left  Salt  Lake  City,  amid  the  cheers  of  her  citizens,  with  cries 
of  ' 'Remember  the  Maine"  ringing  in  their  ears.  On  the 
23rd,  the  Sixteenth  Infantry,  formerly  stationed  at  Fort 
Douglas,  arrived  from  the  north,  and  were  met  by  Governor 
Wells  and  staff  and  militia  officers  at  Ogden,  where  five  thou- 
sand citizens  gave  them  a  rousing  and  enthusiastic  reception. 

On  Thursday  (28th),  President  Woodruff  and  counsel 
issued  a  patriotic  appeal  to  the  young  Latter-day  Saints,  call- 
ing upon  them  to  respond  with  alacrity  to  the  call  made  upon 
Utah  to  furnish  volunteers  for  the  army.  Recruiting  officers 
were  sent  out,  and  it  was  only  a  short  time  till  the  ranks  were 
filled  by  stalwart  young  men,  eager  to  enter  the  service  of  our 
country. 

It  was  the  first  day  of  May,  at  daybreak,  that  Commodore 
(later  Admiral)  George  Dewey  with  his  American  Asiatic 
Squadron  destroyed  the  Spanish  fleet  in  Manila  harbor,  a 
victory  which  added  zest  and  enthusiasm  to  the  volunteers, 
now  coming  from  all  parts  of  the  new  state  to  the  common 
rendezvous  in  Salt  Lake  City.  Flags  were  displayed  in  every 
hamlet,  and  city,  patriotic  programs  of  song,  music  and  oration 
were  given  in  the  churches  and  public  schools,  and  by  societies 
and  associations  everywhere.  On  the  20th,'  Batteries  A  and 
B,  of  about  300  persons,  with  eight  guns,  under  command  of 
Majors  F.  A.  Grant  and  Richard  W.  Young,  left  Salt  Lake  with 
the  farewells,  best  wishes  and  Godspeed  of  all  the  people;  they 
arrived  in  San  Francisco  on  the  22nd,  on  their  way  to  the 
Philippine  Islands,  and  were  grandly  greeted.  These  were 
followed  on  the  24th  by  the  Utah  Cavalry,  eighty-two  in  num- 
ber, under  command  of  Captain  Joseph  E.  Caine,  while  Troop 
1,  Torrey's  Rough  Riders  under  Colonel  John  Q.  Cannon  had 
gone  east  on  the  15th  to  be  mustered  into  service  at  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  in  this  narrative  to  follow  the  Utah 
boys,  who  had  thus  come  to  the  front  in  the  service  of  our 
country,  in  their  campaigns,  but  let  it  suffice  to  say,  they  were 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  141 

an  honor  to  their  state  and  country,  and  their  patriotic  actions 
silenced  forever  the  enemies  of  Utah  who  were  constantly,  and 
especially  prior  to  the  time  of  her  admission  into  the  Union, 
complaining  that  the  "Mormons,"  who  composed  the  great 
majority  of  her  citizens,  were  neither  patriotic  nor  loyal.  The 
Rough  Riders  returned  in  October,  1898,  having  been  mustered 
out  of  service  at  Jacksonville,  Florida,  on  the  28th;  but  the 
Manila  Batteries  remained  in  service  until  August  16,  1899, 
when  they  were  mustered  out  in  San  Francisco.  Governor 
Wells  issued  a  proclamation  designating  the  19th  a  legal  holi- 
day, that  being  the  day  of  their  return  to  Utah.  The  day  was 
enthusiastically  observed  by  the  people,  and  the  boys  were 
received  with  heartfelt  joy,  the  welcome  extended  being  as 
universal  as  it  was  sincere.  And  it  was  proper  that  it  should 
be  so. 

They  did  their  duty  well,  and  merited  the  recognition  of 
brave,  true  soldiers.  They  returned  bearing  their  full  share  of 
the  laurels  of  the  war.  As  a  body  they  made  history  that  will 
ever  remain  to  their  glory,  and  be  a  matter  of  pride  to  our  state 
forever.  Among  the  most  active  in  the  Philippine  war,  they 
were  individually  looked  upon  as  model  men,  and  gained  from 
military  experts  encomiums  of  praise  for  bravery,  devotion  to 
duty,  ability,  earnestness,  morality  and  good  behavior.  Thus, 
they  not  only  earned  renown  for  themselves,  but  placed  the 
name  of  Utah  well  up  in  the  roll  of  honor  among  the  states  of 
our  great  Republic.  Every  Utahn,  therefore,  felt  a  personal 
interest  in  their  achievements,  and  received  benefit  by  their 
valor  and  reputation. 

What  has  been  termed  good  luck,  but  what  rather  must  be 
recognized  as  the  blessings  of  God,  accompanied  the  Utah  boys 
in  their  travels,  in  their  battles,  in  their  return.  Free  from 
storms  of  nature,  and  troubles  among  men,  their  transports 
crossed  the  seas  in  peace.  Notwithstanding  they  were  con- 
stantly at  the  front,  their  number  in  killed  and  wounded  was 
phenomenally  small.  Out  of  the  three  hundred  and  fifty-four 
enlisted,  only  thirteen  died.  Thus  the  Almighty  marvelously 


142  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

preserved  them  from  both  the  fire  of  the  enemy  and  the  ravages 
of  disease.* 

8.     Death  of  President  Wilford  Woodruff. 

President  Wilford  Woodruff,  who  was  born  at  Farmington 
(now  Avon),  Hartford  county,  Connecticut,  March  1,  1807, 
was  now  in  his  ninety-second  year.  He  was  baptized  into  the 
Church,  December  31,  1833,  when  it  was  little  more  than  three 
years  old.  He  had  seen  the  Church  rise  almost  from  its  infancy, 
and  had  carefully  chronicled  its  marvelous  career  in  one  of  the 
most  faithfully  kept  journals  that  any  man  has  ever  made.  His 
life  was  wonderfully  interwoven  with  that  of  the  Church.  From 
the  time,  on  January  2,  1834,  when  he  was  ordained  a  teacher, 
through  the  various  degrees  of  the  Priesthood,  and  on  upward 
to  the  time  when,  on  April  26,  1839,  he  was,  in  Far  West,  or- 
dained one  of  the  Twelve,  he  was  ever  associated  with  the 
leaders  of  the  Church.  He  was  enthusiastic,  true  and  faithful 
in  every  call  to  further  the  cause  of  Zion,  which  he  knew  was 
the  cause  of  God.  He  was  one  of  the  most  successful  mission- 
aries the  Church  has  ever  had;  and  one  of  the  most  faithful  of 
its  servants.  He  had  grown  with  it  from  youth;  and  had  wit- 
nessed marvelous  changes,  as  well  as  wonderful  handdealings 
of  the  Lord  with  the  Latter-day  Saints.  It  is  difficult  to  tell 
which  part  of  his  history  and  that  of  the  Church  is  the  most 
remarkable — the  early  part,  or  the  later  years.  He  surely 
witnessed  during  his  administration  as  its  president  some  of  the 
most  remarkable  incidents  of  its  wonderful  history.  Let  us 
glance  at  a  few  leading,  great  historical  events  of  his  career 
as  president  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints: 
The  fearful  persecutions  of  the  Saints,  leading  to  the  suspension 
of  polygamy;  the  disintegration  of  the  People's  and  Liberal 
parties,  as  a  result  of  his  so-called  manifesto;  the  adoption  of 
National  politics  by  the  people  of  Utah;  the  dedication,  after 


*For  a  list  of  names  of  the  volunteers  in  Battery  A  and  B  and  their  officers;  also  of 
recruits  enlisted  by  Lieut.  Edgar  A.  Wedgewood  to  fill  the  Batteries  to  maximum  strength; 
also  of  Battery  C  under  Capt.  F.  W.  Jennings;  the  First  Troop  Utah,  U.  S.  Vol.  Cavalry, 
Joseph  E.  Caine,  captain;  and  Troop  I,  Second  Regiment,  U.  S.  Volunteer  Cavalry  (Tor- 
rey's  Rough  Riders),  Captain  John  Q.  Cannon;  and  also  a  portion  of  Captain  Robert 
P.  Johnston's  company,  Second  regiment  U.  S.  Volunteer  Engineers  commanded  by  Col. 
Willard  Young,  enlisted  in  Utah  by  Lieut.  F.  J.  Mills,  see  Governor  Heber  M.  Wells' 
message  to  the  third  session  of  (the  state  legislature,!  January,  1899. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  143 

forty  years  of  building,  of  the  great  Salt  Lake  Temple;  the 
erection  of  the  Lehi  sugar  plant,  demonstrating  the  power  of 
Utah  people  to  save  millions  by  producing  their  own  sugar; 
the  building  of  Saltair;  the  harnessing  of  the  Ogden  river  to 
produce  light  and  power;  the  admission  of  Utah  into  the  sister- 
hood of  states;  the  semi-centennial  celebration  in  honor  of  the 
Utah  pioneers,  and  the  Utah  volunteers  taking  part  in  the 
Spanish-American  war  of  1898.  He  had  now  lived  to  see  the 
fulfilment  of  his  own  prophecy,  made  five  years  previous,  at 
the  dedication  of  the  Temple,  that  the  day  is  at  hand  when  the 
rich  favor  of  God  will  be  bestowed  upon  Zion,  and  when  he  will 
comfort  her.  Surely,  it  was  so,  and  his  servant,  full  of  years, 
had  lived  to  witness  it.  He  died  in  San  Francisco,  September 
2,  1898. 

The  circumstances  in  brief  surrounding  his  last  days  and 
death  were  these:  On  August  13,  he  left  Salt  Lake  City,  with 
his  wife  Emma  Smith  and  President  George  Q.  Cannon  and  his 
wife,  on  his  way  to  the  Coast  for  the  benefit  of  his  health  which 
was  as  good  as  it  had  been  for  a  number  of  years.  He  appeared 
to  be  full  of  vigor  and  happiness.  Arriving  at  San  Francisco, 
he  enjoyed  himself  greatly,  and  spoke  twice  in  public — to  the 
Latter-day  Saints,  and  at  a  meeting  of  Pacific  Coast  Octo- 
genarians. On  the  first  day  of  September  he  was  taken  very 
ill,  the  cause  of  his  illness  being  retention  of  the  urine,  and  on 
the  following  day,  September  2,  at  6:40  a.  m.,  he  died  at  the 
residence  of  Col.  Isaac  Trumbo.  That  same  evening  the  train, 
tendered  gratuitously  by  the  Southern  Pacific  Railway  Com- 
pany, bearing  his  remains  left  for  Utah,  arriving  at  Ogden 
on  Sunday  morning,  4th,  at  7:05  o'clock.  Here  the  presidency, 
with  the  high  council  and  bishops  of  the  Weber  stake,  with 
several  hundred  leading  elders  from  all  parts  of  the  country, 
and  many  men,  women  and  children  of  all  classes  and  denom- 
inations, met  at  the  depot,  and  with  bared  heads,  as  a  mark  of 
respect  to  the  departed  leader,  silently  watched  the  coming  of 
the  train.  A  special  Rio  Grande  train  came  into  the  station 
from  Salt  Lake  a  few  moments  before,  bearing  President  Joseph 
F.  Smith,  and  a  large  number  of  the  general  authorities  of  the 
Church,  and  members  of  the  family.  Without  any  ceremony, 
the  funeral  car  was  transferred  to  the  Rio  Grande  to  be  con- 
veyed to  Salt  Lake  City.  Before  its  departure,  the  little  chapel 


144  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

was  thrown  open  and  several  hundred  people  availed  themselves 
of  the  privilege  of  paying  a  silent  tribute  to  the  good,  upright, 
honorable  man  and  leader  who  rested  there  in  the  sleep  of  death. 

Some  shook  hands  with  President  Cannon  who,  though 
ill  and  broken  by  the  journey  and  the  trying  events  of  the  last 
three  days,  was  still  able  to  greet  many  of  his  friends.  Tears 
rolled  down  his  cheeks  as  he  pressed  their  hands.  The  plain 
casket  was  covered  and  surrounded  with  fragrant  California 
flowers,  surmounted  by  a  bearded  sheaf  of  ripe  wheat,  a  fitting 
emblem  of  the  full  and  ripened  life  of  the  departed.  At  its 
foot  stood  a  column  of  flowers,  and  at  the  head  was  a  pillow  of 
roses,  with  lilies,  asters,  carnations,  and  other  blossoms  strewn 
all  about.  It  was  a  perfect  day  which  welcomed  the  distin- 
guished dead  to  his  beloved  Utah,  one  of  those  clear,  sweet 
September  days,  witnessed  only  in  this  mountain  region.  The 
day,  too,  was  observed  by  the  Saints  as  a  fast  day,  and  the  sunlit 
calm  surrounding  partook  of  Nature's  grandeur,  Sabbath  peace, 
and  religious  devotion.  Curiosity  had  fled  from  the  multitude, 
to  give  place  to  real  sorrow  among  the  people. 

Arriving  at  Salt  Lake  City,  a  procession  of  some  thirty 
carriages  formed,  and  passed  after  the  hearse  through  the  main 
part  of  the  city,  past  Liberty  Park,  to  Woodruff  Villa.  It  was 
decided,  later,  to  hold  the  funeral  services  in  the  Tabernacle, 
on  Thursday,  September  8,  1898.  On  that  day  thousands 
attended  from  all  parts  of  the  state.  Very  rich  and  effective 
white  drapery  of  cream  and  cashmere  and  white  ribbon,  on 
the  stand;  the  great  choir,  with  all  the  ladies  dressed  in  white; 
and  electric  display  above  the  life-sized  painting  of  the  deceased, 
bearing  the  legend:  "Being  Dead,  Yet  Speaketh;"  in  the  back- 
ground, a  large  American  flag  across  the  great  organ;  under 
the  portrait  of  the  dead,  large  bunches  of  sagebrush,  inter- 
mingled with  sun-flowers;  tops  of  rugged  pine,  the  yellow  tops 
of  furze  and  rabbit  brush — symbols  of  Utah  in  the  past — with 
ripe  sheaves  of  wheat  and  oats — symbols  of  today — comprise 
a  brief  mention  of  the  unique,  simple,  but  beautiful  decorations 
of  the  Tabernacle.  Then  there  were  flowers  in  profusion, 
symbols  of  love  for  their  leader  gone  to  rest,  until  the  bier  was 
literally  embossed  in  a  tapestry  of  blossom. 

After  organ  music  and  singing,  a  prayer  was  offered  by 
Elder  Franklin  D.  Richards,  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve, 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  145 

followed  by  tributes  in  speech  from  President  Joseph  F.  Smith, 
Elders  Lorenzo  Snow,  Franklin  D.  Richards,*  and  President 
George  Q.  Cannon.  "God  Moves  in  a  Mysterious  Way," 
Elder  Woodruff's  favorite  hymn,  was  sung,  and  the  closing 
prayer  was  offered  by  Elder  Brigham  Young  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve.  The  cortege,  long  and  grand,  proceeded  to  the 
cemetery,  viewed  by  thousands  of  people  who  thronged  the 
line  of  march.  Arriving  at  the  grave  at  2:45  p.  m.,  the  Harmony 
Glee  Club  sang:  "Not  Dead,  But  Sleepeth,"  and  Eldei  Francis 
M.  Lyman  dedicated  the  grave  which  was  then  covered  with 
a  profusion  of  flowers. 

So  died  and  was  laid  away,  Wilford  Woodruff,  the  farmer, 
the  missionary,  the  historian,  the  president,  the  loving  father 
and  husband,  a  most  remarkable  man,  beloved  by  a  whole 
people,  whose  life  had  been  a  long,  busy  round  of  unselfish 
usefulness. 

9.     President  Lorenzo  Snow's  Administration. 

Some  years  prior  to  the  death  of  President  Woodruff,  he 
had  warned  the  apostles,  upon  whom  devolves  the  responsi- 
bility of  presiding  in  case  the  First  Presidency  is  unorganized 
for  any  cause,  that  there  would  be  no  long  interval  between  his 
death  and  the  organization  of  a  new  First  Presidency.  Acting 
upon  thh  warning,  and  being  inspired  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
President  Lorenzo  Snow  was  by  them  chosen,  sustained  and 
set  apart,  as  President  of  the  Church,  on  September  13,  1898, 
eleven  days  after  the  death  of  President  Woodruff.  He  chose 


*Apostle  Franklin  Dewey  Richards  died  on  the  morning  of  December  9,  1899,  at  his 
home  in  Ogden.  He  was  born  at  Richmond,  Massachusetts,  April  2,  1831,  and  was  the 
son  of  Phineas  and  Wealthy  Richards.  He  was  baptized  by  his  father,  in  1836,  was  or- 
dained a  seventy  in  1839,  an  apostle  in  1849,  and  became  president  of  the  quorum  of  Twelve 
Apostles,  when  Apostle  Lorenzo  Snow  was  chosen  President  of  the  Church,  in  1898.  He 
was  buried  in  the  Ogden  Cemetery,  his  funeral  being  attended  by  President  Snow,  the 
Twelve  and  large  concourses  of  people. 

He  filled  many  missions  at  home  and  in  foreign  lands,  and  his  name  is  familiar  to  the 
Saints  in  all  the  world.  It  may  truly  be  said  that  he  served  the  people  all  his  days,  and  that, 
too,  in  both  a  religious  and  civil  capacity.  He  held  the  important  office  of  probate  judge 
in  Weber  county  from  1869  to  1883.  Among  his  other  labors  he  was  Historian  of  the 
Church,  and  in  this  capacity  did  much  to  preserve  valuable  data,  civil  and  ecclesiastical. 
He  was  also  president  of  the  State  Historical  Society. 

He  was  an  ideal  Latter-day  Saint.  Kind,  fatherly,  loving — a  man  who  won  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him.  When  he  spoke,  all  listened  as  to  one  who  would 
utter  only  that  which  was  good,  and  which  would  grieve  none.  He  was  thoroughly  in  ac- 
cord with  the  spirit  of  Joseph  Smith,  his  very  being  vibrating  with  the  testimony  of  the 
prophet's  divine  mission. 


146  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

as  his  counselors,  George  Q.  Cannon  and  Joseph  F.  Smith, 
who  had  acted,  in  that  capacity  under  both  Presidents  Taylor 
and  Woodruff.  The  choice  was  confirmed  by  the  Church  in 
solemn  assembly,  at  the  following  October  semi-annual  con- 
ference. 

President  Lorenzo  Snow  was  born  at  Mantua,  Portage 
county,  Ohio,  April  3,  1814,  and  entered  Oberlin  College  at 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  where  he  received  a  good  education. 
In  1836,  he  was  baptized  into  the  Church,  and  in  the  following 
year  began  his  ministerial  career.  Three  years  later,  'he  went 
with  Parley  P.  Pratt  to  Europe,  on  his  first  mission,  and  while 
in  England  published  a  religious  pamphlet,  "The  Only  Way  to 
be  Saved,"  a  work  that  has  served  to  familiarize  more  people, 
in  more  languages,  with  the  first  principles  of  the  gospel,  than 
any  other  publication  of  the  kind  ever  written;  and  through 
which  he  will  continue  to  bear  his  testimony  to  the  nations. 
Returning  to  America  in  1843,  at  the  head  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  converts,  he  conducted,  in  the  year  following,  a  vigorous 
campaign  in  Ohio  for  Joseph  Smith  for  President  of  the  United 
States.  Later,  he  taught  the  grammar  school  in  Nauvoo,  and 
finally,  after  much  sickness  and  tribulation,  arrived  in  Salt 
Lake  Valley,  in  1848.  On  the  year  following,  having  first  been 
ordained  an  apostle,  on  February  12,  he  opened  the  Italian 
mission,  translating  the  Book  of  Mormon.  Returning  in  July, 
1852,  after  three  years  absence,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  territorial  legislature,  and  he  served  altogether  twenty- 
nine  years  in  that  body,  until  1882.  With  fifty  families 
he  founded  Brigham  City,  in  1855,  where  he  dwelt, 
established  the  united  order  of  Brigham,  and  presided  over  the 
Box  Elder  stake  for  twenty-two  years,  until  August,  1877, 
serving  also  on  two  missions  during  this  period — in  1872, 
with  George  A.  Smith  to  Europe  and  Palestine,  and,  in  1864, 
to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  It  was  in  March,  while  on  this  latter 
mission  that  he  was  providentially  saved  after  being  nearly 
drowned  in  the  Pacific.*  About  the  time  the  "raid"  was  in 
full  force,  in  November,  1885,  he  was  convicted  of  unlawful 
cohabitation  and  sentenced  to  three  terms  of  six  months  each 
in  the  Utah  penitentiary,  serving  eleven  months,  and  being 


*See, "Gospel  Doctrine,"  pp.  677-9. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  147 

later  released  on  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus.  On  the  sixth  of 
April,  1889,  he  became  president  of  the  quorum  of  Twelve 
Apostles,  which  position  he  magnified  until  he  was  made 
President  of  the  Church. 

When  President  Snow  took  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the 
Church  it  was  largely  involved  in  debt,  owing  to  the  troubles 
incident  to  the  confiscation  of  its  property  during  the  perse- 
cutions of  a  decade  which  ended  with  the  "changed  conditions" 
in  the  early  90's.  The  financial  affairs  of  the  Church  had 
been  a  great  burden  upon  President  Woodruff,  for  he  was  a 
man  who  had  never  been  in  debt,  and  who  had  never  realized 
its  worry,  until  his  official  position  placed  him  there. 

President  Snow  seems  to  have  been  especially  selected  of 
God  to  relieve  the  Church  of  this  burden  of  debt,  and  to  place 
its  affairs  upon  a  sound  business  basis,  for  no  sooner  was  he 
installed,  than  he  was  inspired  to  find  a  remedy  for  the  financial 
strain.  He  authorized  two  bond  issues  aggregating  a  million 
dollars,  thus  paying  the  most  pressing  obligations,  and  thereby 
materially  reducing  the  interest  rate  upon  borrowed  money. 

Then  followed  the  movement  which  revived  the  observ- 
ance of  the  law  of  tithing — a  movement  which  marked  his 
administration  as  one  of  the  most  notable  in  the  history  of  the 
Church.  It  began  by  meetings  in  St.  George  and  the  South, 
in  May,  1899,  and  was  followed  by  a  universal  gathering  of  the 
leading  Priesthood  authorities  in  the  Salt  Lake  Temple,  whence 
the  message  of  reform,  like  a  wave,  rolled  over  every  stake  of 
Zion,  awakening  the  people  to  their  duty.  The  Saints  were  re- 
minded of  the  promise  that  this  would  be  a  land  of  Zion  only 
to  those  who  obeyed  the  divine  law  in  relation  to  tithes  and 
offerings.  They  must  pay  their  tithes,  not  alone  to  release  the 
Church  from  debt,  which  was  a  mere  incident,  but  because  it 
is  a  command  of  the  Lord  and  must  be  obeyed.  Past  remiss- 
ness  would  be  forgiven,  but  in  the  future,  there  must  be  no 
neglect  of  the  heavenly  law.  It  was  promised  that  if  the  law 
were  obeyed  great  blessings  would  come  to  the  Saints;  while  if 
it  were  not  heeded,  the  Lord,  for  their  disobedience,  would 
scourge  them  with  calamities.  The  people  responded  in  hu- 
mility and  love,  and  tithes  and  offerings  came  as  never  before. 
President  Snow  grew  in  their  estimation  as  they  in  the  fear  of 
God.  Their  conditions  improved,  prospects  brightened,  and 


148  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

with  them  came  improvements  in  the  affairs  of  the  Church. 
At  no  time  has  God  showered  blessings  upon  his  people  in 
greater  abundance  than  since  they  began  to  comply  with  this 
law.  The  floating  obligations  of  the  Church  were  paid;  and 
means  were  on  hand  to  meet  all  other  obligations  as  they  became 
due.  Changes  and  improvements  followed,  with  great  temporal 
as  well  as  spiritual  revivals,  that  promised  mighty  results  for 
the  future. 

The  Bee  Hive  block  was  divided,  making  two  new  streets — 
College  Avenue  and  Temple  Street;  the  Bee  Hive  was  made  the 
official  residence  of  the  President;  old,  unsightly  landmarks 
were  removed,  and  the  Church  property  renovated ;  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  University  was  established,  and  one  of  its  build- 
ings erected;  and  the  Church  school  system,  established  by 
President  Woodruff,  received  a  fresh  impetus;  the  Brigham 
Young  Memorial  Building  and  Barratt  Hall  were  begun;  the 
Woman's  building,  now  called  the  Bishop's  Building,  was 
founded  and  encouraged;  the  tabernacle  organ  was  remodeled 
at  a  cost  of  about  $12,000;  organ  recitals  were  continued;  the 
magnificent  Deseret  News  building  was  nearly  completed; 
the  printing  of  Church  publications  was  taken  from  private 
printers  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Church  printing  office; 
and  the  Deseret  News  greatly  improved  and  made  the  official 
organ  of  the  Church.  To  President  Snow  must  be  given  the 
credit,  in  the  hands  of  God,  of  inaugurating  this  progressive 
business  policy. 

One  of  the  notable  events  occurring  in  his  administration 
was  the  death  of  President  George  Q.  Cannon,  who  departed 
this  life  in  Monterey,  California,  in  the  early  morning  of  Friday, 
April  12,  1901.  His  body  was  brought  to  Salt  Lake  City  on 
the  evening  of  Monday  following.  In  his  death  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  lost  a  strong,  conservative 
counselor;  the  state,  a  mighty  pillar  of  strength;  the  business 
world,  a  forceful  and  progressive  man  of  affairs ;  and  his  family, 
a  loving,  impartial  brother,  husband  and  father. 

George  Quayle  Cannon  was  born  in  Liverpool,  England, 
on  the  llth  day  of  January,  1827,  and  was  the  oldest  son  of 
George  and  Ann  Quayle  Cannon,  who  were  natives  of  Peel, 
on  the  Isle  of  Man.  He  joined  the  Church  in  1840,  being  bap- 
tized by  the  late  President  John  Taylor,  February  11.  In 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  149 

September,  1842,  the  family  sailed  for  Nauvoo;  the  mother  died 
and  was  buried  in  mid-ocean.  On  August  17,  two  years  there- 
after, the  father  died,  in  St.  Louis.  George  Q.  entered  into  the 
printing  business,  working  in  the  offices  of  the  Times  and  Sea- 
sons and  the  Nauvoo  Neighbor.  At  the  time  of  the  expulsion, 
he  went  to  Winter  Quarters,  and  in  1847,  crossed  the  plains, 
arriving  in  the  Valley  October  3.  After  laboring  with  the  pion- 
eers for  his  living,  and  enduring  with  them  the  hardships  of 
the  times  for  two  years,  he  was  called  on  a  mission  to  Califor- 
nia, under  the  direction  of  Elder  Charles  C.  Rich.  His  sub- 
sequent call  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  his  faithful,  though 
difficult,  labors  there  in  the  introduction  of  the  gospel  to  the 
natives,  four  thousand  of  whom  joined  the  Church,  his  trans- 
lation of  the  Book  of  Mormon  into  the  native  language,  his 
founding  of  the  Western  Standard,  in  California,  and  his 
literary  labors  thereon,  are  matters  of  well  known  history.  He 
returned  in  January,  1858,  owing  to  the  Johnston's  army 
trouble.  From  that  time  on,  his  history  is  very  closely  inter- 
woven with  the  history  of  the  Church  and  Utah.  Few  impor- 
tant movements  took  place  in  either,  during  forty  years,  that 
were  not  largely  shared  or  shaped  by  George  Q.  Cannon. 

As  editor  at  various  times  of  the  Deseret  News;  as  the  pub- 
lisher and  editor  of  the  Juvenile  Instructor,  which  he  established 
in  January,  1866;  and  as  publisher  and  writer  of  books,  his 
works  were  in  the  van  of  Church  literature,*  andfhe  stood  as 
leader  among  Church  writers.  In  educational  affairs,  his  in- 
fluence was  no  less.  He  threw  his  whole  soul  into  the  great 
Sunday  School  movement  which  was  greatly  accelerated  by  the 
publication  of  the  Juvenile;  for  twenty  years,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  University,  ten  years  of  which 
time  as  Chancellor  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  institution,  a 
strong  supporter  and  an  ardent  advocate  of  higher  education, 
in  its  most  trying  years  in  Utah.  His  labors  in  the  same  direc- 
tion, with  and  in  behalf  of  the  great  school,  the  Brigham  Young 
University,  and  other  Church  educational  institutions,  stand  out 
boldly  to  view,  for  he  was  ever  alert  to  their  needs  and  best 
interests.  His  strength  consisted  largely  in  his  humility;  and 
his  power  as  a  wise  counselor  lay  in  his  deference  for  the  opin- 
ions of  others,  and  in  his  willingness  to  listen  to  and  respect 
their  views.  He  ably  represented  Utah  in  Congress,  and  there 


150  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

won  the  esteem  and  respect  of  the  leading  men  of  the  nation. 
As  a  diplomat,  he  had  few  equals;  as  a  forceful  public  speaker, 
he  bound  his  hearers,  as  in  a  spell,  to  the  views  he  advocated. 

He  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Salt  Lake  City  Cemetery,  on 
Wednesday,  April  17.  The  services  in  the  Tabernacle  were 
very  impressive.  There  were  sweet  music  and  song,  beauti- 
ful decorations  of  white,  and  a  wilderness  of  sweetly-woven 
flowers — offerings  from  loving  friends  at  home  and  in  distant 
parts  of  our  country.  Touching  eulogies  on  his  noble  life  and 
deeds,  were  pronounced  by  his  faithful  brethren  to  ten  thou- 
sand silent  listeners,  men,  women  and  children;  and  throughout 
the  whole  Church,  there  was  deep  and  universal  mourning, 
as  when  a  great  people  part  with  a  beloved  chieftain,  father, 
counselor  and  guide. 

President  Lorenzo  Snow  was  soon  to  follow  his  counselor 
to  the  great  beyond.  He  died  at  his  home  in  the  Bee  Hive 
House,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  Thursday,  October  10,  1901, 
at  3:34  o'clock  p.  m.  The  cause  of  his  sudden  death  was  a 
cold  contracted  some  weeks  before,  which  was  not  considered 
serious,  but  which  later  developed  into  bronchitis.  He  was 
unable  to  attend  more  than  one  meeting  of  the  October  semi- 
annual conference — on  Sunday  afternoon  of  the  6th — when 
he  gave  his  last  address  to  a  vast  congregation  assembled  in 
the  great  tabernacle. 

The  burden  of  his  last  message  to  the  Saints  was  "God 
bless  you."  Upon  the  presidents  of  stakes  and  high  counselors, 
he  especially  placed  the  sacred  responsibility  of  the  local  govern- 
ment of  the  fifty  stakes  of  Zion,*  enjoining  them  to  regard  and 
take  an  interest  in  the  people  in  their  various  stakes,  as 
they  would  members  of  their  own  families,  studying  wherein 
they  may  best  render  them  help,  physical,  spiritual  and  finan- 
cial. He  repeatedly  cautioned  them  not  to  forget  his  words, 
and  that  they  must  remember  that  it  is  their  duty  to  look  after 
these  things.  It  is  not  the  business  of  the  apostles.  They, 
with  the  seventies,  are  chosen  to  care  for  the  interest  of  the 
world,  as  special  witnesses  of  the  gospel  unto  the  nations. 
He  also  announced  that  he  had  chosen  a  counselor,  in  the  place 


*The  Church  had  grown  so  that  it  required  more  and  more  officers  to  look  after  the 
people,  and  it  was  President  Snow's  policy  to  divide  some  of  the  larger  stakes,  in  order  that 
the  people  might  be  better  cared  for  by  the  Priesthood.  In  this  way  Cache,  Salt  Lake 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  151 

of  the  late  President  George  Q.  Cannon,  since  he  felt  his  age, 
and  desired  more  help.  At  the  same  meeting  President  Joseph 
F.  Snn'th  was  sustained  as  his  first  counselor  and  Elder  Rudger 
Clawson  as  his  second. 

As  a  fulfilment  of  this  requirement  and  a  sample  of  what 
was  to  follow,  Elder  Heber  J.  Grant,  of  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve,  with  three  other  missionaries,  had  left  Utah  on  July 
24,  to  open  the  mission  field  and  introduce  the  gospel  in  Japan 
and  Elder  Francis  M.  Lyman  left  a  month  or  two  earlier  to 
take  charge  of  the  interests  of  the  Church  in  Europe. 

President  Snow  had  been  an  active  minister  among  the 
people  for  nearly  sixty-five  years  of  his  busy  life.  Sixty-five 
years,  too,  of  wonderful  achievement  wrought  in  the  midst  of 
privation,  toil  and  hardship,  in  all  of  which,  with  childlike  con- 
fidence in  God,  and  love  for  his  fellow  men,  he  fully,  cheerfully, 
bravely,  and  with  unwavering  determination  bore  his  share  of 
the  day's  heat  and  burden. 

With  song  and  music,  and  eulogy,  mingled  with  the  tears 
of  the  old  and  young,  President  Snow's  body  was  laid  to  rest, 
Sunday,  October  13,  on  the  hillside,  in  the  cemetery  above  the 
beautiful  settlement,  Brigham — city  of  his  founding.  His  spirit 
is  exalted  with  the  just.  To  him  went  out,  in  death  as  they  had 
in  life,  the  love  and  respect  of  a  mighty  and  peculiar  people, 
all  of  whom,  if  it  had  been  possible,  would  gladly  have  placed 
flowers  upon  his  bier,  or,  like  the  children  of  Box  Elder,  be- 
strewn with  blossoms  the  pathway  of  his  last  journey. 


and  Utah  stakes  were  each  divided  into  three.  The  names  of  the  stakes  of  Zion,  in  alphabet- 
ical order,  and  as  constituted  November,  1901,  follows: 

Alberta,  Fremont,  Oneida,  Star  Valley, 

Alpine,  Granite,  Panguitch,  Summit, 

Bannock,  Hyrum,  Parowan,  Teton, 

Bear  Lake,  Jordan,  Pocatello,  Tooele, 

Beaver,  Juab,  St.  George,  Uintah, 

Benson,  Juarez,  St.  Johns,  Union, 

Big  Horn,  Kanab,  St.  Joseph,  Utah, 

Bingham,  Malad,  Salt  Lake,  Wasatch, 

Box  Elder,  Maricopa,  San  Juan,  Wayne, 

Cache,  Millard,  San  Luis,  Weber, 

Cassia,  Morgan,  Sevier,  Woodruff. 

Davis,  Nebo,  Snowflake, 

Emery  North  Sanpete  South  Sanpete, 


152  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


VI. 

PROGRESS  AND  GROWTH  UNDER  PRESIDENT 
JOSEPH  F.  SMITH. 

1.     Joseph  F.  Smith  Chosen  President. 

The  prophet's  lips  were  sealed,  a  noble  workman  of  our 
Father  was  carried  away,  but  the  "marvelous  work  and  a  won- 
der" falters  not  upon  its  triumphant  march.  Other  men  were 
chosen  who  made  it  equally  effective  in  their  day.  The  first 
quorum  in  the  Church  was  again  completely  organized  on 
Thursday,  October  17,  1901,  at  a  meeting  of  the  apostles,  in 
the  Temple,  when  Joseph  F.  Smith  was  chosen  and  set  apart  as 
the  President  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints, 
and  he  selected  as  his  counselors,  John  R.  Winder  and  Anthon 
H.  Lund.  At  the  same  time  Brigham  Young,  Jr.,  was  chosen 
and  set  apart  as  president  of  the  quorum  of  Twelve  apostles. 

President  Smith  was  born  in  Far  West,  Missouri,  in  the 
midst  of  plunderings  and  severest  hardships  and  persecutions, 
on  the  thirteenth  day  of  November,  1838.  Ten  years  later 
(September  23,  1848),  he  came  to  Utah  and  with  his  mother — 
his  father,  Hyrum  Smith,  the  Patriarch,  having  suffered  martyr- 
dom with  the  Prophet  Joseph,  on  that  fateful  June  27,  1844. 
In  1852  his  mother  died,  and  from  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  he 
was  constantly  in  the  service  of  the  Church,  and  by  his  straight- 
forward course  won  the  love,  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  whole 
community.  He  was  ordained  an  apostle  under  the  hands  of 
President  Young,  on  July  1,  1866,  and  on  the  eighth  of  October, 
1867,  was  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  Quorum  of  Twelve 
apostles. 

President  Smith  was  a  friend  of  the  people,  easily  ap- 
proached, a  wise  leader  and  counselor,  a  man  of  broad  'views, 
and  contrary  to  first  impressions,  a  man  whose  sympathies  were 
easily  aroused.  He  was  a  reflex  of  the  best  character  of  the 
"Mormon"  people — inured  to  hardships,  patient  in  trial, 
God-fearing,  self-sacrificing,  full  of  love  for  the  human  race, 
powerful  in  religious,  moral,  mental  and  physical  strength, 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  153 

He  had  an  imposing  physical  appearance,  was  tall,  erect, 
well-knit  and  symmetrical  in  build,  with  a  prominent  coun- 
tenance. When  speaking  he  threw  his  full,  clear  brown  eyes 
wide  operi  on  the  listener  who  readily  perceived  from  their 
penetrating  glimpse  the  wonderful  mental  power  of  the  tal 
forehead  above.  His  large  head  was  crowned  with  an  abundant 
growth  of  hair,  in  his  early  years  dark,  but  later,  like  his  full 
beard,  tinged  with  a  liberal  sprinkling  of  gray,  and  at  last  a 
beautiful  white.  In  conversation,  one  was  forcibly  impressed 
with  the  sudden  changes  in  appearance  of  his  countenance, 
under  the  different  influences  of  his  mind ;  now  intensely  pleasant, 
with  an  enthusiastic  and  child-like  interest  in  immediate  sub- 
jects and  surroundings;  now  absent,  the  mobility  of  his  features 
set  in  that  earnest,  almost  stern,  majesty  of  expression  so 
characteristic  of  his  portraits — so  indicative  of  the  severity  of 
the  conditions  and  environments  of  his  early  life.  Bravery 
and  fidelity  to  trust. were  indissolubly  interwoven  with  his 
character.  He  was  never  known  to  shirk  a  duty  or  prove  rec- 
reant to  a  responsibility. 

As  a  public  speaker,  his  leading  trait  was  an  intense 
earnestness.  He  impressed  the  hearer  with  his  message  more 
from  the  sincerity  of  its  delivery,  and  the  honest  earnestness  of 
his  manner,  than  from  any  learned  exhibition  of  oratory  or 
studied  display  of  logic.  He  touched  the  hearts  of  the  people 
with  the  simple  eloquence  of  one  who  is  himself  convinced  of 
the  truths  presented.  He  was  a  pillar  of  marvelous  strength 
in  the  Church,  thoroughly  inbued  with  the  truths  of  the  gospel, 
and  the  divine  origin  of  this  work. 

Under  him  the  affairs  of  the  Church  were  in  the  care  of  a 
wise,  able  and  conservative  servant  of  the  Lord,  who  had  the 
full  confidence,  sympathy  and  earnest  prayers  of  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  during  his  long  and  prosperous  administration,  under 
the  inspiration  and  blessing  of  God. 

When  it  was  first  announced  that  a  new  Presidency  had 
been  chosen  there  was  universal  satisfaction  among  the  people, 
and  it  was  generally  realized  that  the  Saints  felt  in  their  hearts 
to  say,  Amen. 

This  was  verified  when,  on  Sunday,  November  10,  the 
special  conference  and  solemn  assembly  of  the  priesthood  rati- 
fied, without  dissenting  voice,  the  choice  made  by  the  apostles. 


154  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OP  THE  CHURCH. 

Every  stake  of  Zion,  except  one,  later  heard  from,  was  repre- 
sented either  at  the  assembly  or  by  letter  transmitting  action 
taken  in  local  conference  by  the  people.  All  the  general  au- 
thorities were  sustained,  including  Hyrum  Mack  Smith  as  a 
member  of  the  Quorum  of  Twelve  Apostles.  It  was  a  most 
impressive  scene  to  witness  the  Priesthood,  occupying  the 
elevated  stands  and  the  central  parts  of  the  great  tabernacle, 
rise  to  their  feet,  and  with  uplifted  hands,  each  quorum  in 
order,  covenant  to  sustain  and  uphold  the  authorities  as  pre- 
sented. This  action  was  followed  by  the  whole  congregation, 
the  whole  body  of  the  Church,  likewise  rising  to  their  feet  and 
making  in  the  same  manner  a  like  covenant.  The  voting  was 
done  in  the  following  order,  President  Joseph  F.  Smith,  him- 
self presenting  all  the  names  to  be  voted  for:  First  Presidency, 
Apostles,  Patriarchs,  Presidents  of  Stakes  and  their  counselors 
and  High  Councilors,  High  Priests,  Seventies,  Elders,  Bishops 
and  their  counselors,  the  lesser  Priesthood  (Priests,  Teachers 
and  Deacons),  and  the  members  of  the  Church,  including  the 
priesthood.  The  unity  manifested  among  the  ten  thousand 
people  was  something  wonderful  to  behold;  while  it  must  have 
been  as  astonishing  to  the  stranger  as  it  was  a.  means  of  thrilling 
joy  to  the  authorities  and  the  true  lover  of  the  work  of  God. 
Surely  such  a  manifestation  of  unity  had  its  power  for  good  both 
in  the  heavens  and  upon  the  earth. 

The  prayers  of  the  Saints  ascended  in  behalf  of  the  breth- 
ren chosen  to  direct,  under  the  inspiration  of  God,  the  destiny 
of  the  Church,  while  the  work  of  the  Lord,  thus  auspiciously 
beginning  another  administration  in  the  history  of  its  achieve- 
ments, continued,  under  President  Joseph  F.  Smith  and  as- 
sociates, to  make  rapid  advance  in  the  pathway  of  its  glorious 
destiny! 

2.     The  Bureau  of  Information. 

The  interests  of  the  Church,  steadily  and  with  rapid  strides, 
advanced  in  every  department,  both  spiritual  and  material. 

In  the  matter  of  missionary  work,  one  of  the  first  and, 
perhaps,  one  of  the  most  successful  institutions  initiated,  was 
the  Bureau  of  Information  and  Church  Literature.  Salt  Lake 
City  being  a  stopping  place  for  thousands  of  trans-continental 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  155 

tourists  from  all  the  nations  of  the  world,  the  Bureau  of  In- 
formation has  become  a  daily  necessity  for  the  enlightenment 
and  information  of  the  traveling  public,  relating  to  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints  and  their  institutions. 

No  systematized  method  had  been  adopted  at  home,  to 
enlighten  these  strangers  as  to  the  history,  institutions,  and  faith 
of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  until  this  mission  on  the  temple  block 
was  begun  in  July,  1902.  The  Bureau  was  at  first  housed  in 
a  very  small  building,  costing  about  $500,  and  was  opened  on 
August  4  of  that  year  under  the  charge  of  Benjamin  Goddard, 
Thomas  Hull,  Arnold  Schultess,  and  Josiah  Burrows,  as  a 
directing  committee.  Benjamin  Goddard  has  remained  in 
charge,  through  various  changes  of  the  committee,  up  to  the 
present  time.  Persons  are  chosen  to  assist  in  escorting  strangers 
around  the  temple  block,  who  work  without  pay  or  gifts  from 
the  visitors.  The  tour  is  of  such  a  character  that  children,  as 
well  as  young  and  old  Latter-day  Saints,  everyone,  would  be 
greatly  benefited  by  the  information  and  inspiring  stories  of 
the  guides. 

At  the  close  of  the  fourth  day  after  opening,  more  than 
five  thousand  people  had  registered  and  at  the  close  of  the 
first  year,  the  number  of  visitors  had  swelled  to  150,000.  The 
number  continued  to  increase  with  the  years  and  during  the 
summer  of  1920,  the  great  volume  of  visitors  reached  about 
400,000. 

In  1904,  the  work  had  grown  so  rapidly  and  was  so  ap- 
preciated by  travelers,  that  a  new,  commodious  building,  of 
granite  foundation  and  brick  walls,  was  erected  on  the  south 
side  of  the  block  and  was  dedicated  on  Saturday,  March  26. 
The  cost  was  about  $9,000.  Later,  in  1910,  an  addition,  costing 
about  $11,000,  was  made  to  the  building  on  the  east.  Subse- 
quently a  second  story  was  added,  now  used  as  library,  reading, 
and  rest  room  for  tourists.  Later,  in  1918,  an  addition  was 
erected,  now  housing  a  museum  of  pioneer  relics,  and  archaeo- 
logical and  ethnological  exhibits. 

Up  to  1914,  over  400,000  pamphlets  had  been  printed  and 
distributed,  and  this  number  has  since  reached  into  the  mil- 
lions. Many  Church  works  have  been  sold,  and  untold  leaf- 
lets of  a  doctrinal  character,  magazines  and  other  publications, 
containing  information  about  the  State  and  the  Church,  have 


156  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

been  distributed.  The  missionaries,  who  have  freely  devoted 
their  time  and  efforts  on  the  grounds,  have  accomplished  a 
splendid  work,  recognized  as  resulting  in  benefit  and  advantage 
to  the  Church  the  world  over;  and  their  labors,  too,  have  been 
among  a  class  of  people  difficult  to  reach  in  their  homes,  or  in 
any  other  way.  The  work  goes  steadily  on  and  the  Bureau  has 
grown  to  be  one  of  the  best  missionary  institutions  in  the 
Church. 

3.     Church  Building. 

Within  five  years  after  President  Smith's  inauguration, 
the  bonded  debts  of  the  Church  were  paid.  The  last  bonds 
were  burned  in  the  fireplace  of  the  old  President's  office.  Re- 
ferring to  the  occasion,  President  Lund  says:  "I  remember 
how  President  Smith  rejoiced  when  we  made  a  bonfire  of  bonds 
that  called  for  a  million  dollars,  for  we  felt,  'Now  the  Church  is 
free  from  debt!'  " 

It  became  evident  that  in  order  to  insure  the  greatest 
growth  and  guarantee  stability  in  the  mission  fields,*  it  would 
be  necessary  to  have  suitable  churches  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  elders,  converts  and  investigators.  To  this  end,  buildings 
were  erected  in  various  missions,  which  policy  greatly  ac- 
celerated missionary  labors.  In  August,  1902,  a  building  was 
erected  in  Copenhagen,  Denmark;  in  Christiania,  Norway,  the 
Church  already  owned  one,  but  rebuilt  and  enlarged  it.  New 
quarters  were  purchased,  about  this  time,  in  Liverpool,  Eng- 
land, and  in  Stockholm,  Sweden,  and  suitable  buildings  erected 
thereon.  In  1903,  a  mission  building  was  erected  at  Denver; 
and  late  in  1904,  a  comfortable  and  commodious  church  was  pur- 
chased in  Chicago,  also  a  pleasant  mission  home  in  Chattanooga, 
Tenn.  Land  was  purchased  in  South  Africa  also.  There  were 
also  built  a  mission  house  and  church  in  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 
A  church  was  erected  about  this  time  in  Boise,  Idaho,  which 
place  was  later  taken  into  the  Boise  stake  of  Zion.  There  were 
also  built  at  Independence,  the  headquarters  of  the  Central 


*There  were  23  missions  in  1920:  Australia,  British,  California,  Canadian,  Central 
States,  Eastern  States,  Hawaiian,  Japan,  Mexican,  Netherlands,  New  Zealand.  Northern 
States,  Northwestern  States,  Norwegian,  Samoa,  Scandinavian,  Southern  States,  South 
Africa,  Swiss  and  German,  Swedish,  Tahitian,  Tonga,  Western  States,  besides  the  Bureau 
of  Information,  in  Salt  Lake  City. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  157 

States  Mission,  a  commodious  church  and  mission  headquarters. 
In  1916,  additional  real  estate,  adjoining  the  mission  property 
was  purchased.  Ward  meeting  houses,  stake  houses,  and  stake 
quarters,  academies  and  schools  were  erected  in  all  parts  of  the 
Church  at  home.  During  the  year  1916,  the  Church  contrib- 
uted toward  the  erection  of  ward  and  stake  houses  the  handsome 
amount  of  $177,736.  Property  was  also  purchased  in  Brooklyn, 
New  York,  and  a  house  erected  thereon  costing  about  $52,000. 
A  new  chapel  was  dedicated  in  Portland,  Oregon,  by  President 
Smith,  June  13,  1915.  The  "Church  Office  Building"  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  a  structure  built  of  steel,  cement,  and  granite,  one 
of  the  great  and  beautiful  buildings  of  the  western  United 
States,  was  erected  in  1914-17  at  a  cost  of  $864,562  with  equip- 
ment to  supercede  old  buildings  erected  by  President  Brigham 
Young  that  for  sixty  years  or  more  had  served  as  headquarters 
for  the  Church.  An  addition  was  built  to  the  Groves'  Latter- 
day  Saints  hospital,  and  the  Thomas  D.  Dee  Memorial  hospital, 
Ogden,  was  transferred  to  the  Church.  In  fact,  President 
Joseph  F.  Smith's  whole  administration  was  one  of  progress 
in  building.  Not  only  was  he  a  temple-building  president,  but 
he  was  a  builder  of  stake  and  ward  houses,  and  of  mission 
quarters,  to  such  an  extent  that  as  early  as  1906,  the  Church 
had  more  headquarters  in  foreign  missions,  in  Great  Britain, 
in  Scandinavia,  in  the  United  States,  and  on  the  islands  of  the 
seas,  where  the  elders  might  gather,  meet  for  council,  and  find 
a  resting  place  in  times  of  sickness  and  distress,  than  it  had  ever 
before  had  in  all  its  history  in  the  world.  It  was  an  epoch  of 
building  both  at  home  and  abroad.* 

One  incident  which  greatly  pleased  the  Saints  who  were 
interested  in  the  shaping  of  events  that  shall  lead  to  the  re- 
demption of  the  latter-day  Zion  and  the  erection  of  the 
temple  "in  the  land  of  promise  and  the  place  of  the  city  of 
Zion",  was  the  acquisition  of  twenty-five  and  three-fourths 
acres  of  land  in  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  in  April,  1904.  This 
ground  is  part  of  the  original  eighty-five-acre  temple  lot  at 


*The  Improvement  Era,  for  June,  1914,  Vol.  17,  No.  8,  devotes  one  hundred  pages  to 
the  worship  of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  and  is  illustrated  with  about  twenty  buildings  erected 
before,  and  twenty-nine  ward  and  stake  buildings,  with  descriptions,  erected  since,  1901; 
'»07  wards  out  of  724,  at  that  time,  owned  meeting  houses,  ranging  in  cost  from  five  to 
thirty-five  thousand  dollars. 


158  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Independence  and  was  purchased  by  the  Church  at  the  cost 
of  $25,000.  A  great  part  of  this  means  was  donated  by  faithful 
Saints,  many  of  whom  had  passed  away  without  beholding  the 
fulfilment  of  the  promises  relating  to  the  return  of  the  Saints 
to  Jackson  county,  but  who,  nevertheless,  had  full  faith  in  the 
ultimate  fruition  of  the  promises  of  the  Lord  regarding  the  land. 

4.     Growth  of  the  Church. 

The  great  missionary  work  which  the  Latter-day  Saints 
have  carried  on  for  many  years  continued  throughout  the 
foreign  nations,  and  up  to  and  including  1916,  until  just  before 
the  United  States  entered  the  great  war,  April  6,  1917,  during 
which  period,  practically  2,000  or  more  elders  were  kept  in  the 
mission  field  continually. 

By  leaps  and  bounds  the  Church  grew  rapidly,  both  by 
new  converts  and  by  natural  increase.  In  the  decade  between 
1906  and  1916,  there  was  a  remarkable  percent  of  increase  in 
surrounding  states,  Idaho,  Montana,  Wyoming,  Colorado, 
Arizona,  and  Nevada.  In  Nevada  the  gain  was  from  6.6  per 
cent  to  21.2  per  cent  in  1916;  and  in  Idaho  from  41.4  per  cent 
to  53.5  per  cent,  according  to  the  report  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of 
Census.  Throughout  the  Church  the  people  increased  in  such 
numbers  that  it  became  expedient  to  continue  to  organize  new 
stakes  and  wards.  Up  to  the  close  of  1904,  five  new  stakes  were 
created,  and  bishops'  wards  increased  from  562  to  627.  At 
the  close  of  1920,  the  stakes  numbered  83,  and  the  bishops' 
wards,  872,  not  including  48  independent  branches,  making 
920  all  told. 

During  1901,  prior  to  President  Smith's  incumbency, 
seven  new  stakes  had  been  created  as  follows:  making  50  in 
all:*  Alpine,  Jan.  13,  1901;  Benson,  May  1,  1901;  Bighorn, 
May  26,  1901;  Hyrum,  April  30,  1901,  Nebo,  Jan.  20,  1901; 
Teton,  Sept.  2,  1901,  and  Union,  June  9,  1901.  Since  then 
stakes  have  been  organized  as  follows: 

Taylor.  51.     From  Alberta,  Canada.  Aug.    30,     1903. 

Blackfoot.  52.     From  Bingham,  Idaho.  Jan.     31,     1904. 

Liberty.  53.     From  Salt  Lake,  Utah.  Feb.     26,     1904. 

Pioneer.  54.    From  Salt  Lake,  Utah.  Mar.    24,    1904. 

*See  list  of  former  stakes  pages  150-1. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


159 


Ensign. 

55. 

From  Salt  Lake,  Utah. 

April     1, 

1904. 

Rigby. 

56. 

From  Fremont,  Idaho. 

Feb.      3, 

1908. 

Ogden. 

57. 

From  Weber,  Utah. 

July     19, 

1908. 

North  Weber. 

58. 

From  Weber,  Utah. 

July     19, 

1908. 

Bear  River. 

59. 

From  Box  Elder  and  Malad,Utah.  Oct.ll, 

1908. 

Yellowstone. 

60. 

From  Fremont,  Idaho. 

Jan.     10, 

1909. 

Carbon. 

61. 

From  Emery,  Utah. 

May      8, 

1910. 

Duchesne. 

62. 

From  Uintah,  Utah. 

Dec.     2, 

1910. 

Young. 

63. 

From  San  Juan,  Colo. 

May    21, 

1912. 

Deseret. 

64. 

From  Millard,  Utah. 

Aug.     11, 

1912. 

Moapa  (Nevada.) 

65. 

From  St.  George,  Utah. 

Sept.     8, 

1912. 

Boise. 

66. 

From  Union  and  Cassia, 

Idaho.  Nov.  3, 

1913. 

Shelley. 

67. 

From  Blackfoot,  Idaho. 

Aug.     16, 

1914. 

Cottonwood. 

68. 

From  Granite,  Utah. 

Nov.    29, 

1914. 

Raft  River. 

69. 

From  Cassia,  Idaho. 

April    27, 

1915. 

Curlew. 

70. 

From  Box  Elder,  Utah. 

May     17, 

1915. 

North  Davis. 

71. 

From  Davis,  which  was 

June 
Aug. 
Nov. 
Apr. 
Dec. 
July 
July 
Aug. 

16, 
14, 
19, 
22, 
23, 
27, 
27, 
3, 

1915. 
1915. 
1916. 
1917. 
1917. 
1919. 
1919. 
1919. 

changed  to  South  Davis. 

Portneuf.  72.     From  Pocatello,  Idaho. 

Idaho.  73.     From  Bannock,  Idaho. 

Tintic.  74.     From  Nebo,  Utah. 

Montpelier.  75.     From  Bear  Lake,  Idaho. 

Twin  Falls.  76.     From  Cassia,  Idaho. 

Burley.  77.     From  Cassia,  Idaho. 

Elaine.  78.     From  Boise,  Idaho. 

Lost  River.  79.     From  Blackfoot  and  North- 

western Mission,  Idaho.        Aug.     17,     1919. 

Logan.     .  80.     From  Cache,  Utah.  June      5,     1920. 

Franklin.  81.     From  Oneida,  Idaho.  June     6,     1920. 

Roosevelt.  82.     From  Duchesne,  Utah.  June    26,     1920. 

Garfield.  83.     From  Wayne  &  Panguitch,  Utah.  Aug.  29,  1920. 

While  these  facts  indicate  unequalled  spiritual  expansion 
and  growth,  the  people  were  also  progressing  wonderfully  in 
material,  intellectual  and  artistic  affairs.  New  enterprises 
were  established.  Canning  factories  for-  foods  and  vegetables, 
sugar  works,  mills  and  manufacturing  establishments  were 
erected  or  were  added  to  those  already  built  in  northern  Utah 
and  southern  Idaho.  The  people  were  blessed  with  abundant 
harvests  of  all  kinds;  new  and  modern  homes  were  erected  in 
all  the  chief  cities  and  settlements  of  the  people. 


160  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Improved  printing  facilities  were  introduced.  Many 
important  Church  works  were  published.  Among  these  may  be 
named  the  "History  of  the  Prophet,  Joseph,"  by  his  mother; 
"History  of  the  Church,"  six  volumes,  edited  by  B.  H.  Roberts; 
also  a  "History  of  the  Mormon  People,"  an  original  work  of 
three  thousand  pages  by  the  same  author,  who  also  issued  three 
volumes  of  "New  Witnesses  for  God,"  and  other  volumes  on, 
"In  Defense  of  the  Faith;"  and  a  "Complete  Concordance  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon,"  by  George  Reynolds.  The  "Book  of 
Mormon,"  in  Japanese  was  translated  and  published,  by  Alma 
0.  Taylor,  in  Japan;  "One  Hundred  Years  of  Mormonism," 
by  John  Henry  Evans;  "Two  Thousand  Gospel  Quotations," 
by  Henry  H.  Rolapp;  "Jesus,  the  Christ,"  by  Dr.  James  E. 
Talmage  who,  during  the  closing  years  of  this  administration, 
also  wrote  a  series  of  doctrinal  writings  that  were  published  in 
the  leading  dailies  of  the  United  States,  and  in  local  newspapers 
and  magazines,  and  from  which  were  compiled  and  later  pub- 
lished, "The  Vitality  of  Mormonism."  There  were  also  many 
smaller  works  published  by  the  Church  and  by  private  writers. 

In  this  connection  it  must  be  stated  that  a  Committee  on 
Study  for  the  Priesthood  Quorums  has  been  organized  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  this  Committee  has  published  several 
important  volumes  used  by  the  quorums  for  the  study  of  the 
gospel.  Important  titles  among  these  published  works  are, 
"Gospel  Themes,"  by  Orson  F.  Whitney;  "Rational  Theol- 
ogy," by  Dr.  John  A.  Widtsoe;  "The  Restoration,"  by  Osborne 
J.  P.  Widtsoe,  and  "Gospel  Doctrine,"  by  President  Joseph  F. 
Smith.  The  revival  of  the  study  of  the  gospel  among  the 
priesthood  of  the  Church  has  been  largely  due  to  the  efforts  of 
this  Committee,  and  the  publication  of  these  and  other  works. 

In  the  great  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  at  St.  Louis, 
in  1904,  Utah  won  many  prizes  for  her  handsome  displays  of 
agricultural  products,  mineral  specialties  and  progressive 
educational  exhibits.  The  legislature  of  1903  set  aside  $50,000 
for  this  great  fair.  Twelve  years  later,  Utah  took  a  leading 
part  in  the  Panama-Pacific  Exposition  in  San  Francisco  and 
San  Diego,  and  in  this  instance  especially,  the  mining  and 
educational  divisions  were  well  represented  by  Utah.  A  prom- 
inently displayed  sentiment  uttered  by  President  Brigham 
Young,  in  1850,  to  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  University  of 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  161 

Utah,  attracted  much  attention  to  the  Latter-day  Saints  and 
testified  to  the  love  of  education  which  has  always  been  a 
prominent  characteristic  of  the  people.  It  read:  "Education 
is  the  power  to  think  clearly,  the  power  to  act  well  in  the  world's 
work,  and  the  power  to  appreciate  life." 

Among  the  incidents  that  tended  to  increase  interest  in 
and  understanding  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  by  the  people  of 
the  Nation  was  the  erection  in  Sharon,  Vermont,  of  a  monu- 
ment commemorating  the  one-hundredth  anniversary  of  Joseph, 
the  Prophet.  The  old  Smith  farm  had  been  purchased,  upon 
which  was  also  erected  a  beautiful  cottage  near  this  monument 
which  is  located  on  the  old  homestead  where  the  Prophet  was 
born.  The  monument  was  designed  and  built,  under  the  di- 
rection of  the  authorities,  by  Elder  Junius  F.  Wells,  and  was 
dedicated  on  the  23rd  of  December,  1905,  the  one-hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  birthday  of  the  Prophet,  by  President  Joseph 
F.  Smith.*  A  large  company  of  prominent  members  of  the 
Church  were  present  at  the  dedicatory  services.  Ever  since, 
the  spot  has  been  a  conspicuous  center  for  visitors,  where  re- 
liable information  concerning  the  Latter-day  Saints  may  be 
obtained. 

As  an  indication  of  the  good  will  of  the  people  of  Missouri, 
it  must  be  stated  that  the  city  of  Richmond  took  interest  in  the 
dedication  of  another  monument  to  the  memory  of  Oliver 
Cowdery,  the  Second  Elder  of  the  Church.  This  monument 
was  dedicated  on  the  22nd  of  November,  1911,  by  President 
Heber  J.  Grant.  Elder  Junius  F.  Wells  also  directed  the  erec- 
tion and  execution  of  this  monument.  About  this  time,  also, 
two  hundred  members  of  the  Salt  Lake  Tabernacle  Choir  made 
a  5,500-mile  concert  tour  to  the  East  and  to  places  of  early 
Church  history,  holding  concerts  in  many  prominent  cities 
and  being  well  received  everywhere  by  the  people.  This  com- 
pany travelled  under  the  direction  of  Bishop  David  A.  Smith, 
George  D.  Pyper,  Evan  Stephens,  and  John  J.  McClellan. 

A  monument  was  erected  in  Salt  Lake  City,  in  addition  to  the 
Gull  Monument,  previously  referred  to,  to  the  memory  of  the 
Patriarch  Hyrum  Smith,  which  was  unveiled  and  dedicated 


*For  the  dedicatory  prayer  in  full,  see  Improvement  Era,  February,  1906,  volume  9, 
page  324. 


162  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

with  very  impressive  ceremonies  on  June  27,  1918.  The  dedi- 
catory prayer  was  pronounced  by  President  Charles  W.  Pen- 
rose.  The  opening  prayer  was  by  President  Anthon  H.  Lund, 
and  the  object  and  purpose  of  the  monument  was  given  by  Elder 
Junius  F.  Wells,  who  had  designed  it  and  supervised  its  erection. 
President  Heber  J.  Grant  delivered  a  stirring  address  on  Hyrum 
Smith  and  his  distinguished  posterity,  his  descendants  number- 
ing about  six  hundred  souls,  who  were  nearly  all  residents  of 
Utah  and  faithful  members  of  the  Church  he  helped  to  organize. 
President  Smith  was  not  feeling  very  well,  but  was  able  to  be 
present,  and  gave  a  short  address  expressing  his  appreciation 
and  gratitude  to  those  who  had  made  it  possible  for  the  erec- 
tion of  this  monument,  and  particularly,  he  spoke  of  the  as- 
siduity, faithfulness  and  wisdom  of  Junius  F.  Wells.  He  said: 
"I  don't  think  there  is  another  man  within  the  range  of  my 
acquaintance  who  could  have  accomplished  the  work  that 
Junius  F.  Wells  accomplished  in  building  the  monument  in 
Vermont,  in  memory  of  the  name  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith."* 

5.     Political  Affairs. 

At  the  opening  of  President  Smith's  administration,  there 
was,  as  usual  up  to  this  time,  considerable  stir  in  politics.  The 
legislature,  on  January  20,  1903,  elected  Reed  Smoot,  United 
States  Senator  from  Utah.  He  had  been  chosen  April  8,  1900, 
a  member  of  the  Council  of  Twelve,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  death  of  Franklin  D.  Richards.  The  selection  of  a 
"Mormon,"  in  high  standing  in  the  Church,  for  this  exalted 
political  office  was  the  excuse  for  a  protest  sent  January  26, 
by  sectarian  ministers,  lawyers,  mining  and  business  men,  and 
editors,  numbering  eighteen,  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  Utah,  to 
their  friends  in  the  East.  The  agitation  culminated  in  great 
lists  of  names  being  sent  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States 
protesting  the  seating  of  Senator  Smoot,  and  asking  for  an  in- 
vestigation of  his  rights  to  a  seat  in  the  Senate,  on  the  ground 
that  he  was  either  a  polygamist  or  assisting  polygamy;  or, 
furthermore,  that  he  and  his  associates  were  using  undue  re- 
ligious influence  in  political  matters.  Under  this  pressure  an 


*For  a  full  account,  see  Improvement  Era,  Vol.  21,  August,  1918. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  163 

investigation  and  hearing  was  held  by  the  Senate  Committee 
on  Privileges  and  Elections,  beginning  January  16,  1904,  and 
continuing  until  June  11,  1906.  The  testimony  includes  3,427 
printed  pages  besides  a  "Contents-Index"  of  147  pages. 

A  searching  inquiry  into  the  belief  and  practices  of  the 
Latter-day  Saints,  was  instituted  before  the  Committee  with  a 
view  to  unseat  the  Senator.  Something  over  106  witnesses 
were  examined,  and  practically  every  point  at  issue  was  gone 
into  searchingly  on  both  sides  of  the  controversy. 

The  following  points  were  thoroughly  investigated: 
Higher-law  menace,  revelation,  plural  marriages  since  the 
manifesto,  unlawful  cohabitation,  polygamy  before  the  mani- 
festo, teaching  polygamy,  endowment  ceremonies,  personal 
to  Senator  Smoot,  Church  and  State,  the  Thatcher  case, 
Apostles-hierarchy,  Church  control  in  temporal  affairs,  religion 
classes,  Churc"h  courts,  and  Church  control  in  Utah  and  Idaho 
politics.  The  report  of  the  Committee  was  adverse  to  the 
Senator  from  Utah.  It  was  signed  by  J.  C.  Burrows  of  Mich- 
igan, chairman.  Robert  W.  Taylor  was  employed  as  Counsel 
to  represent  the  protestants.  It  was  held  that,  "Mr.  Smoot 
is  not  entitled  to  a  seat  in  the  Senate,  as  a  Senator  from  the 
state  of  Utah."  A  minority  report  held  to  the  opinion  that, 
"There  is  no  just  ground  for  expelling  Senator  Smoot,  or  for 
finding  him  disqualified  for  holding  the  seat  he  occupies  be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  he,  in  common  with  all  the  people  of  his 
state,  has  not  made  war  upon,  but  has  acquiesced  in  a  condi- 
tion for  which  he  had  no  original  responsibility."  This  report 
was  signed  by  J.  B.  Foraker,  Albert  J.  Beveridge,  William  P. 
Dillingham,  A.  J.  Hopkins  and  P.  C.  Knox. 

On  December  13,  1906,  debate  in  the  Senate  on  the  reports 
began,  and  from  that  time  on,  until  February  20,  1907,  when  a 
vote  was  taken  upon  the  resolution,  Utah  matters  were  thor- 
oughly aired  in  speeches  upon  the  subject  by  many  of  the 
Senators.  The  resolution  was  so  amended  as  to  require  the 
concurrence  of  two-thirds  of  the  senators  present,  and  on  the 
resolution  so  amended  the  vote  stood:  yeas,  28;  nays,  42; 
not  voting  20.  So  the  resolution  was  rejected,  "two-thirds  of 
the  senators  present  not  voting  therefor."  Senator  Smoot 
retained  his  seat. 

The  result  may  •  well  be  considered  satisfactory  to   all 


164  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OP  THE  CHURCH. 

concerned,  and  ended  in  a  better  understanding  between  the 
leaders  of  the  Nation  and  the  Latter-day  Saints,  because  not 
only  was  the  Senator's  position  inquired  into  and  found  satis- 
factory, but  nearly  all  the  doctrines  and  teachings  of  the  Church, 
and  particularly  those  relating  to  its  relationship  with  the 
Government,  were  set  forth  in  detail  by  the  witnesses,  for 
and  against  the  people,  with  the  result  that  nothing  was  found 
that  proved  them  either  a  menace  to  the  Nation,  or  disloyal  to 
its  institutions  and  Government,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  very 
opposite.  The  career  of  Senator  Smoot,  during  these  many 
years  in  the  Senate,  has  placed  him  at  the  fore-front  among  the 
Nation's  leaders,  and  the  result  has  been  that  the  Latter-day 
Saints  are  respected  and  understood,  and  have  been  found  to  be 
among  the  Nation's  most  honored  people.  His  distinguished 
services  have  given  satisfaction  to  all  concerned,  both  in  the 
Nation  and  at  home,  as  witness  the  state  electi6n  of  1920,  in 
which  he  was  reelected  by  the  people  by  an  overwhelming 
majority. 

When  the  controversy  first  began,  a  new  anti-' 'Mormon" 
political  party,  called  the  "American",  was  formed  in  Utah, 
supported  by  Senator  Thomas  Kearns,  whose  term  of  office 
in  the  Senate  had  expired,  and  to  which  he  had  been  chosen  by 
the  legislature  in  January,  1901,  and  who  sought  reelection. 
This  new  party  was  much  after  the  pattern  of  the  old  Liberal 
Party  which  existed  before  the  "changed  conditions,"  in  1890, 
and  was  formed  to  fight  Senator  Smoot  and  the  alleged  influence 
of  the  Church  in  politics.  They  alleged  that  the  Church  con- 
trols the  political  parties,  and  that  no  party  in  the  ascendant 
in  Utah  can  be  free  from  Church  influence;  hence  the  need  for 
this  new  organization,  which  was  established  to  bitterly  fight 
politically  the  people  of  the  Church  and  the  Church  authorities, 
and  that  purpose  was  fully  exemplified  in  the  campaigns  of 
1904-08,  a  period  of  extreme  political  agitation  in  Utah.  This 
was  followed  by  an  eastern  magazine  crusade  during  1910-11. 
It  was  likewise  followed  by  a  ruthless,  unjust  and  execrable 
attack  on  President  Joseph  F.  Smith,  who  was  cartooned  and 
libeled  in  a  daily  paper,  the  organ  of  that  party  at  that  time,  to 
such  an  extent  that  it  was  almost  more  than  the  people  could 
bear,  though  President  Smith,  himself,  endured  the  attack 
without  a  flinch,  knowing  himself  and  his  people  to  be  innocent 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  165 

of  the  charges  made  against  them.  The  new  party  lasted  only 
for  a  short  time  when  the  National  party  lines  were  again 
drawn,  and  the  people  of  the  State  again  united  on  the  Republi- 
can and  Democratic  party  lines,  with  a  small  following  of 
Socialist  adherents.* 

President  Smith  stated,  in  regard  to  the  attack  made  upon 
him  and  his  people  in  this  particular  political  move,  "I  feel  in 
my  heart  to  forgive  all  men  in  the  broad  sense,  that  God  requires 
of  me  to  forgive  all  men,  and  I  desire  to  love  my  neighbor  as 
myself;  and  to  this  extent  I  bear  no  malice  toward  any  of  the 
children  of  my  Father.  But  there  are  enemies  to  the  work  of  the 
Lord,  as  there  were  enemies  to  the  Son  of  God.  There  are  these 
who  speak  only  evil  of  the  Latter-day  Saints.  There  are  those — • 
and  they  abound  largely  in  our  midst,  who  will  shut  their 
eyes  to  every  virtue  and  to  every  good  thing  connected  with 
this  latter-day  work,  and  will  pour  out  floods  of  falsehood  and 
misrepresentation  against  the  people  of  God.  I  forgive  them 
for  this.  I  leave  them  in  the  hand  of  the  just  Judge."**  Again 
in  April,  1908,  he  said:  "We  thank  God  for  his  mercies  and 
blessings;  and  I  do  not  know  but  what  we  owe  in  some  small 
degree  gratitude  to  those  who  have  bitterly  opposed  the  work 
of  the  Lord;  for  in  all  their  opposings  and  bitter  strife  against 
our  people,  the  Lord  has  developed  his  power  and  wisdom,  and 
has  brought  his  people  more  fully  into  the  knowledge  and  favor 
of  the  intelligent  people  of  the  earth.  Through  the  very  means 
used  by  those  who  have  opposed  the  work  of  God,  he  has 
brought  out  good  for  Zion.  Yet,  it  is  written,  and  I  believe  it 
is  true,  that  although  it  must  needs  be  that  offenses  come, 
woe  unto  them  by  whom  they  come;  but  they  are  in  the  hands 
of  the  Lord  as  we  are.  We  bring  no  railing  accusation  against 
them.  We  are  willing  to  leave  them  in  the  hands  of  the  Al- 
mighty to  deal  with  them  as  seemeth  him  good.  Our  business 
is  to  work  righteousness  in  the  earth,  to  seek  for  the  develop- 
ment of  a  knowledge  of  God's  will  and  of  God's  ways,  and  of 
his  great  and  glorious  truths  which  he  has  revealed  through  the 


*In  1905,  the  American  party  elected  their  candidate  for  Mayor  and  a  majority  of  the 
City  Council  of  Salt  Lake  City.  The  city  administration  thus  went  into  their  hands,  in 
which  it  was  held  for  three  terms,  1905  to  1911.  The  party  was  overthrown  in  1911  by 
a  citizens'  ticket  and  at  the  same  election  Salt  Lake  went  under  the  Commission  system 
ot  government,  Samuel  G.  Park,  Mayor. 
**Oct.  "Conference  Report,"  1907,  p.  5. 


166  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

instrumentality  of  Joseph  the  Prophet,  not  only  for  the  sal- 
vation of  the  living  but  for  the  redemption  and  salvation  of 
the  dead."* 

6.     The  Great  War. 

The  immediate  firebrand  that  started  the  European  con- 
flagration, and  set  the  whole  world  in  a  blaze  of  war,  was  the 
assassination  of  the  Archduke  Franz  Ferdinand,  heir  to  the 
throne  of  Austria-Hungary.  This  took  place  on  June  28,  1914, 
in  Sarajevo,  the  capital  of  Bosnia,  and  the  tragedy  was  com- 
mitted by  a  young  Herzegovinian  student  named  Prinzip  who, 
discharging  an  automatic  pistol  at  both  the  prince  and  his 
morganatic  wife,  killed  them  almost  instantly,  as  they  were 
returning  from  the  town  hall,  after  a  reception.  The  assassin- 
ation doubtless  expressed  the  resentment  of  many  Serbs  at 
the  annexation  of  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  by  Austria,  in  1908, 
for  which  Franz  Ferdinand  was  held  largely  responsible, 
though  the  primary  causes  were  a  variety  of  conflicts  dating 
many  years  into  the  past. 

But  Austria  and  Servia  came  to  serious  relations  over  the 
tragedy  on  July  23,  following.  The  former  demanded,  in 
sharp  and  unqualified  words,  of  the  latter,  that  she  give  definite 
assurance  henceforth  that  no  anti-Austrian  agitators  should  be 
permitted  to  carry  on  their  propaganda  in  that  country. 
Servia's  reply,  though  conciliatory  and  pacific,  was  regarded 
as  unsatisfactory  by  the  Austrian  government,  which  then  de- 
clared war  on  the  former  country,  on  July  28.  The  next  day 
Austria  began  the  bombardment  of  Belgrade,  and  the  war 
spread  thence  until  it  not  only  turned  Europe  into  an  unpar- 
alleled field  of  battle  and  carnage,  but  plunged  almost  every 
nation  of  the  world  into  a  far-reaching  conflict  which  has  no 
parallel  in  loss  of  life,  in  suffering,  and  in  destruction  of  prop- 
erty, in  the  history  of  all  time. 

This  action  was  followed  by  a  declaration  of  war  by  Ger- 
many against  Russia,  on  August  1.  Then  followed  war  dec- 
larations, one  nation  against  another,  until  all  the  leading 
nations  of  Europe  were  involved.  On  August  4,  Britain  def- 


*April  "Conference  Report."  1908,  p.  2,  3. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  167 

initely  declared  war  on  Germany  and  bound  herself  to  support 
France  and  Belgium.  On  this  day  also  the  United  States 
declared  neutrality.  The  trouble  spread  to  Japan,  China,  and 
the  American  continent.  As  the  years  went  on  there  was  not  a 
nation  left  untouched  by  the  sorrow,  death,  desolation,  loss 
of  property,  famine  and  pestilence  that  followed  the  world  over, 
in  the  wake  of  the  fearful  conflict. 

Germany  decided  to  engage  in  a  submarine  warfare,  and 
this  eventually  brought  the  United  States  into  the  war.  On 
May  1,  1915,  the  Gulflight,  an  American  oil  ship  from  Port 
Arthur,  Texas,  to  Havre,  France,  was  sunk  by  what  was  sup- 
posed to  be  a  German  submarine.  Two  men  who  jumped 
overboard  were  drowned.  More  than  a  month  before  this 
event,  the  Falaba,  an  African  liner,  bound  from  Lisbon  for 
Liverpool,  was  torpedoed,  with  a  loss  of  about  fifty  men,  of 
which  one,  Leon  Chester  Thrasher,  was  an  American.  Then 
came  the  sinking,  without  warning,  of  the  British  passenger 
liner  Lusitania  on  May  7,  1915,  with  1,917  persons  on  board, 
1,152  of  whom  lost  their  lives.  Among  these  were  114  Ameri- 
cans who  perished,  out  of  179  on  board.  Among  these  were 
Charles  Frohman,  who,  a  minute  or  two  before  the  end,  said 
to  his  companions  with  a  smile,  ''Why  fear  death?  It  is  the 
most  beautiful  adventure  that  life  gives  us;"  Alfred  G.  Vander- 
bilt;  Justus  M.  Forman,  the  novelist;  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  El- 
bert  Hubbard,  and  other  noted  Americans;  forty  babies  and 
twice  as  many  older  children  were  drowned.  Then  came  a 
long  period  of  negotiation  and  notes  between  the  governments 
while  the  public  were  repeatedly  asking,  "What  are  we  going 
to  do  about  it?"  It  was  finally  clear,  after  other  ships  had 
been  attacked,  that  Germany  intended  to  continue  bombard- 
ing belligerent  merchant  ships,  regardless  of  whether  or  not 
American  citizens  were  on  board,  though  it  appeared  at  one 
time  that  a  diplomatic  settlement  had  been  arrived  at  which 
gave  promise  of  avoiding  war.  But  there  was  increased  sub- 
marine activity,  and  many  British  ships  were  torpedoed,  during 
the  months  following.  Vessels  of  every  kind,  whatever  their 
flag,  their  character,  or  contents  were  ruthlessly  destroyed. 
According  to  Berlin  statistics,  from  the  beginning  of  the 
war  until  October  12,  1916,  the  number  of  hostile  and  neutral 
ships  sunk  by  the  sea  forces  of  the  Central  Powers  numbered 


168  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

1,253,  of  2,569,500  tons;  but  of  these  only  200  neutral  ships, 
of  276,528  tons,  were  sunk  for  carrying  contraband  of  war.  At 
the  end  of  January,  1917,  Germany  announced  a  war  zone 
around  the  British  Isles,  along  northern  France,  and  in  the 
Mediterranean,  from  which  even  neutral  shipping  was  barred. 
"All  ships  met  within  that  zone  will  be  sunk  by  us,"  said  the 
German  order.  Neutral  ships,  including  one  American,  might 
enter  Falmouth  once  a  week,  but  could  enter  no  other  British 
port,  and  must  follow  a  lane  described  by  Germany.  "Fright- 
fulness"  was  the  name  for  the  following  weeks'  intensified 
submarine  warfare,  now  undertaken  by  Germany  in  an  effort 
to  starve  Britain  into  making  a  peace.  This  decree  ended  what 
friendly  relations  were  left  with  the  United  States.  When  the 
news  reached  Washington,  the  port  of  New  York  was  closed, 
February  1,  1917,  to  all  outgoing  vessels.  President  Woodrow 
Wilson  addressed  Congress  the  next  day  announcing  that 
Count  Bernstorff,  the  German  Embassador,  had  been  given  his 
passports,  and  that  U.  S.  Embassador  Gerard  had  been  re- 
called from  Germany.  The  weeks  following,  until  April  2, 
were  full  of  important  events,  including  the  German  retreat 
in  the  West,  the  fall  of  Bagdad,  March  11;  the  revolution  in 
Russia,  resulting  in  the  abdication  of  Czar  Nicholas  II  on 
March  15,  and  later  in  the  ignominious  death  of  his  whole 
family  and  himself,  at  the  hands  of  his  own  people;  and  the 
formation,  after  many  vicissitudes,  of  a  Bolshivik  govern- 
ment, still  existing  at  the  close  of  1920,  under  Lenine  and  Leon 
Trotzky,  full  of  such  ruthless  horrors  as  compared  with  which 
the  French  Revolution's  Reign  of  Terror  was  a  mild  and  well 
organized  system  of  government. 

On  April  2,  President  Wilson  asked  Congress  to  declare  a 
state  of  war,  owing  to  the  German  unrestricted  submarine 
campaign,  and  on  the  4th,  the  Senate  passed  a  war  resolution 
by  a  vote  of  eighty-two  to  six,  followed  on  the  5th,  by  the 
House,  by  a  vote  of  three-hundred  seventy-three  to  fifty.  The 
next  day,  April  6,  1917,  President  Wilson  signed  the  resolution 
formally  declaring  war  with  Germany.  Then  followed  a  year 
and  a-half  of  conflict  in  which  the  United  States  provided 
thousands  of  soldiers,  and  prepared  to  train  an  army  of  10, 
000,000  men  to  take  further  part,  and  raised  billions  of  money. 
General  John  J.  Pershing  and  the  first  American  troops  reached 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  169 

France,  the  General  on  June  13,  and  the  troops  on  June  26. 
Training  camps  were  established  in  all  parts  of  the  United 
States,  and  every  preparation  was  made  for  taking  part  in  the 
unparalleled  conflict  on  a  scale  which  only  the  vast  resources  of 
men  and  means  in  America  could  provide.  By  August  17, 
1918,  the  over-seas  shipment  of  men  totalled  more  than  one 
and  one-half  million,  while  other  millions  were  preparing  to 
go.  The  Americans  had  taken  active  part  by  this  time  in 
many  battles,  and  continued  effectively  so  to  do  until  the 
armistice  was  declared  on  November  11,  1918.* 

Kaiser  Wilhelm  III  had  abdicated  and  fled  to  Holland.  The 
war  was  won  by  the  Allies  and  associated  Powers,  between 
whom  and  Germany  the  Peace  Treaty  was  signed  at  Versailles, 
on  June  28,  1919.  The  event  took  place  in  the  Hall  of  Mirrors, 
in  which  the  Germans  had  humbled  the  French  forty-nine 
years  before,  following  the  war  of  1870.  It  was  the  formal  close 
of  the  Great  War  which  had  lasted  five  years,  within  thirty- 
seven  days.  The  signing  of  the  German  treaty  has  been  pro- 
nounced one  of  the  most  impressive  events  in  human  history, 
unique  in  its  character  and  purposes.  "It  was  not  an  agree- 
ment for  the  bondage  of  any  nation,  but  one  for  the  freedom 
of  all  nations." 

When  the  declaration  of  war  reached  Salt  Lake  City,  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was  in  the  midst  of 
its  eighty-seventh  annual  conference.  Referring  in  his  opening 
speech,  April  6,  to  the  declaration  of  war  just  signed,  President 
Joseph  F.  Smith  exhorted  the  people  to  maintain  the  spirit 
of  love.  He  said: 

"I  want  to  say  to  the  Latter-day  Saints  who  may  enlist, 
and  whose  services  the  country  may  require,  that  when  they 
become  soldiers  of  the  State  and  of  the  Nation  that  they  will 
not  forget  that  they  are  also  soldiers  of  the  Cross,  that  they  are 
ministers  of  life,  and  not  of  death;  and  when  they  go  forth, 
they  may  go  forth  in  the  spirit  of  defending  the  liberties  of 
mankind  rather  than  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the  enemy. 
If  we  could  convert  them  to  peaceful  ways  and  to  the  love  of 
peace  without  destroying  them,  we  would  become  saviors  of 


*Sources  of  information:  'Literary  Digest  History  of  the  World  War,*    10  volumes: 
Improvement  Era,  volumes  17-20. 


170  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

men.  And  it  is  abominable  that  men  who  engage  in  the  great 
and  grand  and  necessary  duty  of  protecting  and  guarding  our 
Nation  from  the  encroachments  of  wicked  enemies,  cruel  and 
destructive  foes,  should  not  maintain  among  themselves  lives 
of  honor,  virtue,  purity,  and  of  immunity  from  sin  and  crime 
of  every  kind.  It  is  a  disgraceful  thought  that  a  man  to  be- 
come a  soldier  should  become  a  rake,  and  abandon  himself  to 
crime  and  wickedness.  Let  the  soldiers  that  go  out  from  Utah 
be  and  remain  men  of  honor.  And  when  they  are  called,  obey 
the  call,  and  manfully  meet  the  duty,  the  dangers,  or  the  labor, 
that  may  be  required  of  them,  or  that  they  may  be  set  to  do, 
but  do  it  with  an  eye  single  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  good 
that  is  aimed  to  be  accomplished,  and  not  with  the  blood- 
thirsty desire  to  kill  and  to  destroy."* 

Later,  in  the  annual  conference  of  the  Mutual  Improve- 
ment Associations,  in  the  early  part  of  June,  in  the  large  taber- 
nacle, Salt  Lake  City,  Presidents  Anthon  H.  Lund,  Charles 
W.  Penrose,  and  Joseph  F.  Smith  spoke  to  the  thousands  of 
young  men  in  attendance,  giving  messages  that  covered  the 
needs  of  the  stirring  day,  and  containing  encouragement, 
counsel,  and  advice  of  vital  advantage  and  import.  Very 
brief  selections  from  their  remarks  show  with  what  patriotism 
and  earnestness  the  leaders  of  the  people  spoke. 

President  Joseph  F.  Smith:  "I  want  to  see  the  hand  of  God 
made  manifest  in  the  acts  of  the  men  that  go  out  from  the  ranks 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  and  from  the  State  of  Utah,  to 
help  to  defend  the  principles  of  liberty  and  sound  government 
for  the  human  family.  I  want  to  see  them  so  live  that  they  can 
be  in  communion  with  the  Lord,  in  their  camps,  and  in  their 
secret  places,  and  that  in  the  midst  of  battle  they  can  say: 
'Father,  my  life  and  my  spirit  are  in  thine  hand!'  " 

President  Anthon  H.  Lund:  "I  am  glad  to  see  so  many  here, 
and  as  far  as  our  young  men  are  concerned,  I  know  that  they 
will  do  their  duty,  that  they  will  not  be  found  lacking,  whether 
it  be  to  go  to  war  or  to  stay  at  home,  attending  to  those  things 
that  will  build  up  the  people  here.  I  believe  that  in  whatever 
circumstances  they  may  be  placed,  they  will  continue  faithful. 
I  hope  that  the  foundation  of  faith  laid  in  their  hearts  will  not 

*"Eighty-seventh  Annual  Conference  Report,"  pp.  3,  4. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  171 

be  shaken,  and  that  they  will  go  as  God-fearing  young  men,  not 
influenced  by  the  evils  and  temptations  that  generally  attend 
warring  armies,  but  that  they  will  carry  out  what  they  have 
learned  in  their  youth,  and  set  such  an  example  before  others 
that  they  will  be  looked  upon  as  indeed  sons  of  God-fearing 
parents,  and  young  men  that  want  to  do  right." 

President  Charles  W.  Penrose:  "Now,  the  chief  point,  then, 
that  I  wish  to  present  to  our  young  men  in  this  congregation, 
today,  is  the  desire  of  the  Governor  and  his  associates  in  this 
state  that  the  number  required  to  be  raised  in  the  National 
Guard  of  Utah  shall  be  obtained,  and  the  plan  shall  be  effected, 
and  that  Utah  will  be  able  to  stand  in  the  roster  of  States  having 
the  proper  number,  according  to  the  lists  made  out  for  the  re- 
spective state  organizations,  and  will  not  be  behind  in  any  good 
work.  We  desire  to  show,  for  a  fact,  that  notwithstanding 
reports  that  have  been  circulated,  concerning  the  people  of 
Utah,  and  particularly  the  Latter-day  Saints — the  'Mormon' 
people — that  we  are  loyal  to  our  Government,  as  we  desire  to 
be,  first  of  all,  loyal  to  our  God  and  to  the  truths  which  He  has 
revealed.  We  want  to  stand  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  other 
good  citizens  of  the  United  States  in  maintaining  the  princi- 
ples of  our  Government  and  in  defending  this  Nation,  in  asso- 
ciation with  other  nations  that  are  assailed,  in  the  maintenance 
of  truth  and  liberty  for  the  benefit  of  all  mankind."* 

The  strenuous  times  that  followed  gave  evidence  of  the 
earnestness  with  which  the  people  adopted  the  counsel  of  their 
leaders  and  took  part  in  the  great  struggle.  Thousands  were 
called  to  training  camps.  Young  men  in  remunerative  callings, 
professional  and  otherwise,  dropped  their  business  and  made 
arrangements  for  volunteering  or  being  drafted  to  enter  the 
conflict.  There  were  many  farewell  scenes  at  the  stations  that 
beggared  description,  as  fathers  and  mothers,  sisters,  friends 
and  sweethearts,  bade  farewell  to  the  departing  youths,  who 
hurried  to  their  training  camps,  bent  upon  the  accomplishment 
of  their  part  in  the  great  struggle.  In  all  the  states  of  the 
West,  in  which  there  were  Latter-day  Saints,  our  boys  took 
their  full  part  with  courage  and  honor,  in  camp  and  field,  in 
the  stirring  scenes  of  the  day. 


*For  the  speeches  in  full  see  Improvement  Era,  Vol.  20,  pp.  821-834. 


172  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 

During  the  remaining  portion  of  the  first  year,  (1917) 
out  of  the  "Mormon"  population  in  the  Church,  3,854  entered 
the  army;  616,  the  navy;  196  joined  the  marines;  253,  the  medi- 
cal corps;  354,  other  branches  of  the  service;  116,  the  national 
guard,  which  was  then  not  a  part  of  the  U.  S.  Army;  96,  the 
Red  Cross,  including  nurses,  making  a  total,  at  the  close  of  the 
year,  of  5,476  who  had  entered  the  service  of  their  country. 

According  to  reports  gathered  from  authentic,  original 
sources,  by  the  Presiding  Bishop's  Office,  the  year  1918 
showed  the  following  military  statistics  of  the  young  men  of 
the  Church:  There  had  joined  the  army  10,648;  the  navy, 
1,128;  the  marines,  451;  medical  corps,  535;  there  were  in  the 
training  schools,  430;  in  the  Student  Army  Corps,  778;  in  other 
branches,  710;  in  the  National  Guard,  not  regular  military 
service,  97;  in  the  Red  Cross,  including  nurses,  120;  making  a 
total  of  14,897.  During  the  year,  there  were  383  who  died  in 
the  service. 

In  the  early  part  of  January,  1919,  there  were  all  told 
14,975  "Mormons"  in  the  service  of  their  country,  and  during 
that  year  258  died  in  service.* 

The  War,  even  as  in  the  Philippine  Islands,  proved  the 
loyalty  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  in  their  devotion  to  their 
country's  cause  and  their  loyalty  to  the  Nation.  Every  "drive" 
for  funds,  every  allotment  for  bonds,  every  donation  for  Red 
Cross  and  other  purposes  were  promptly  met  and  in  all  in- 
stances over-subscribed  by  the  people. 

7.     Changes  in  the  General  Authorities. 

Excepting  only  President  Brigham  Young,  who  for  thirty- 
three  years  was  the  leader  of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  Joseph  F. 
Smith  stood  at  the  head  of  the  people  more  years  than  any 
other  president,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  at  no  other  time  was 
there  ever  more  growth  in  temporal  and  spiritual  affairs  than 


.  *The  service  flags  at  the  Utah  State  Capitol  indicate  that  24,382  men  all  told  were  in 
the  service  from  Utah.  Federal  statistics  give  Utah  credit  for  a  total  of  19,421  men,  dis- 
tributed as  follows:  National  Army,  10,788;  Regular  Army,  5,335;  Navy,  2,494;  Marines, 
804.  The  tentative  state  figures  are  likely  to  be  most  correct,  as  numbers  of  enlistments 
from  neighboring  states  may  be  included  in  the  Federal  estimate.  The  state  historian, 
Dr.  Andrew  Love  Neff,  has  not,  at  this  writing,  definite  information. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  173 

during  his  seventeen  years  of  eventful  and  successful  incum- 
bency. Many  were  the  changes  among  the  authorities  of  the 
Church  under  his  administration  resulting  from  death  and  other 
causes.  Only  four,  who  were  members  of  the  Council  of  Twelve 
when  he  became  President,  were  in  the  Council  or  First  Presi- 
dency when  he  died.  They  are  Anthon  H.  Lund,  Heber  J. 
Grant,  Rudger  Clawson  and  Reed  Smoot. 

Authorities  at  the  Opening  of  President  Smith's  Administration. 

The  First  President  and  General  Authorities  were  con- 
stituted as  follows,  at  the  organization  of  the  First  Presidency, 
at  the  special  conference,  November  10,  1901: 

Joseph  F.  Smith — Prophet,  Seer  and  Revelator,  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  in  all 
the  world. 

John  R.  Winder — First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 

Anthon  H.  Lund — Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presi- 
dency. 

Brigham  Young — President  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles. 

Members  of  the  Council  of  Twelve  Apostles: — Brigham 
Young,  Francis  M.  Lyman,  John  Henry  Smith,  George  Teas- 
dale,  Heber  J.  Grant,  John  W.  Taylor,  Marriner  W.  Merrill, 
Matthias  F.  Cowley,  Abraham  0.  Woodruff,  Rudger  Clawson, 
Reed  Smoot,  Hyrum  M.  Smith. 

The  counselors  in  the  First  Presidency  and  the  Twelve 
Apostles,  Prophets,  Seers  and  Revelators. 

John  Smith — Patriarch  of  the  Church. 

First  Seven  Presidents  of  Seventies — Seymour  B.  Young, 
C.  D.  Fjeldsted,  B.  H.  Roberts,  George  Reynolds,  Jonathan 
G.  Kimball,  Rulon  S.  Wells,  Joseph  W.  McMurrin. 

William  B.  Preston — Presiding  Bishop,  Robert  T. 
Burton,  as  first,  and  Orrin  P.  Miller,  second  counselors. 

Anthon  H.  Lund — Church  historian  and  general  Church 
recorder. 

Joseph  F,  Smith — Trustee-in-trust  for  the  body  of  religious 


174  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

worshipers  known  as  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints. 

These  died  or  resigned  during  the  years  following: 
Brigham  Young  died,  April  11,  1903. 
Francis  M.  Lyman  died,  Nov.  18,  1916. 
John  Henry  Smith  died,  Oct.  13,  1911. 
George  Teasdale  died,  June  9,  1907. 
John  W-  Taylor  resigned,  Oct.  6,  1905. 
Matthias  F.  Cowley  resigned,  Oct.  6,  1905. 
Marriner  W.  Merrill  died,  Feb.  6,  1906. 
Abraham  0.  Woodruff  died,  June  20,  1904. 
Hyrum  M.  Smith  died,  Jan.  23,  1918. 

New  Members  Chosen. 

George  Albert  Smith  was  sustained  as  one  of  the  Twelve, 
October,  1903,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of 
Brigham  Young. 

Charles  W.  Penrose  was  chosen  and  ordained  an  apostle  July 
7,  1904,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  A.  0. 
Woodruff. 

George  F.  Richards  and  Orson  F.  Whitney  were  chosen  and 
sustained  apostles,  April,  1906,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  resignation  of  John  W.  Taylor  and  M.  F.  Cowley, 
October,  1905. 

David  O.  McKay  was  chosen  and  sustained  as  member  of  the 
Council  of  Twelve,  April,  1906,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  death  of  M.  W.  Merrill. 

Anthony  W.  I vins  was  chosen  and  sustained  one  of  the  Twelve , 
October,  1907,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of 
George  Teasdale. 

Joseph  F.  Smith,  Jr.,  was  ordained  an  apostle  April  7,  1910,  to 
fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  selection  of  John  Henry 
Smith  as  Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency,  April 
7,  1910,  owing  to  the  death  of  John  R.  Winder,  March 
27,  1910,  the  First  Counselor.  Anthon  H.  Lund  was 
promoted  to  First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency, 
having  previously  served  as  Second  Counselor,  April  7, 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  175 

1910,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  John  R. 

Winder,    March    27,    1910. 
John  Henry  Smith  was  chosen  Second  Counselor  in  the  First 

Presidency  April,  1910. 
Charles  W.  Penrose  was  selected  as  Second  Counselor  in  the 

First  Presidency  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death 

of  John  Henry  Smith,  Oct.  13,  1911. 
James  E.  Talmage  was  ordained  an  apostle  December  8,  1911, 

to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  selection  of  Charles  W. 

Penrose  as  Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 
Stephen   L.   Richards  was  chosen   and  ordained  an   apostle 

Jan.  18,  1917,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of 

Francis  M.  Lyman,  Nov.  18,  1916. 
Richard  R.  Lyman  was  ordained  an  apostle  April  7,  1918,  to 

fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Hyrum  M.  Smith, 

Jan.  23,  1918. 
Melvin  J.  Ballard  was  ordained  and  set  apart  a  member  of 

the  Council  of  Twelve,  Jan.  7,  1919,  to  fill  the  vacancy 

caused  by  the  selection  and  ordination  of  Heber  J.  Grant 

as  President  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 

Saints,  Nov.  23,  1918.    He  was  the  first  apostle  chosen  by 

President  Grant. 

General  Authorities  at  the  Opening  of  President  Grant's 
Administration. 

At  the  June  conference,  1919,  the  April  conference  having 
been  postponed  owing  to  an  epidemic  of  sickness  known  as  the 
Influenza,  the  General  Authorities  of  the  Church  were  sustained 
as  follows: 

Heber  J.  Grant,  Prophet,  Seer  and  Revelator,  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

Anthon  H.  Lund,  First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 

Charles  W.  Penrose,  Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presi- 
dency. 

Anthon  H.  Lund,  President  of  the  Council  of '  Twelve 
Apostles. 

Rudger  Clawson,  acting  President  of  the  Twelve  Apostles. 


176  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Members  of  the  Council  of  Twelve  Apostles: 

Rudger   Clawson  Anthony  W.  Ivins 

Reed  Smoot  Joseph  Fielding  Smith 

George    Albert    Smith  James  E.  Talmage 

George  F.  Richards  Stephen  L.  Richards 

Orson  F.  Whitney  Richard  R.  Lyman 

David  O.  McKay  Melvin  J.  Ballard 

Hyrum  G.  Smith,  Presiding  Patriarch  of  the  Church. 

The  Counselors  in  the  First  Presidency,  the  Twelve 
Apostles  and  Patriarch,  Prophets,  Seers  and  Revelators. 

First  Seven  Presidents  of  Seventy:  Seymour  B.  Young, 
Brigham  H.  Roberts,  Jonathan  G.  Kimball,  Rulon  S.  Wells, 
Joseph  W.  McMurrin,  Charles  H.  Hart  and  Levi  Edgar  Young. 

Charles  W.  Nibley,  Presiding  Bishop,  with  David  A.  Smith 
and  John  Wells  as  his  First  and  Second  Counselors. 

Heber  J.  Grant,  as  Trustee-in-Trust  for  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

8.     The  Passing  of  President  Smith. 

President  Joseph  F.  Smith  peacefully  closed  his  active 
life  upon  earth,  on  Tuesday  morning,  4:50  o'clock,  November 
19,  1918,  at  his  home,  the  Beehive  House,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah.  He  had  served  the  people  of  his  Church  and  state  all 
his  life,  in  almost  every  useful  private  and  public  capacity. 
By  dint  of  honest  effort  and  persistent  labor,  borne  fully, 
bravely  and  cheerfully,  he  mounted  the  ladder  of  experience 
round  by  round  as  herd  boy,  pioneer,  teacher,  soldier,  mission- 
ary, legislator,  counselor,  and  finally  stood  as  the  prophet  and 
mouthpiece  of  the  Lord  for  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Lat- 
ter-day Saints,  a  preacher  of  righteousness,  occupying  the  most 
exalted  position  in  the  gift  of  the  Lord  to  his  people  upon  this 
earth.  Judge  Charles  C.  Goodwin,  for  years  the  editor  of  the 
Salt  Lake  Tribune,  when  it  was  very  bitter  against  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  and  their  leader,  says,  in  speaking  of  him,  in  Good- 
win's Weekly,  April  8,  1916: 

"A  more  kindly  and  benevolent  man  has  seldom  held  an 
exalted  ecclesiastical  position  in  these  latter  days  than  President 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  177 

Joseph  F.  Smith  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints.  Passing  down  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  the  highway 
of  life,  and  living  with  broad  tolerance  of  the  affairs  of  men,  he 
stands  a  commanding  influence  in  his  state.  To  his  people  he 
is  the  great  spiritual  leader.  To  men  at  large  he  is  a  man  of 
wide  sympathies,  great  business  acumen,  and  a  born  leader 
of  the  great  institution  of  which  he  is  the  head. 

"One,  who  has  known  him  for  two  generations,  says  of 
him:  'Once  stern  and  unrelenting,  he  has  mellowed  as  the  years 
go  on,  until  he  sees  but  the  good  in  humanity  and  forgives  men 
their  trespasses.' 

"His  early  life  was  of  great  hardship,  surviving  as  he  did 
many  adventures  and  many  soul-rending  experiences  that 

try  the  hearts  of  men. 

*  *  *  *  #  * 

"Upon  the  death  of  President  Snow,  he  succeeded  to  the 
First  Presidency.  Under  his  direction  the  Church  has  grown 
in  power  until  it  is  accounted  one  of  the  most  perfectly  organ- 
ized bodies  in  existence.  As  trustee  of  the  vast  properties  of 
the  Church  he  has  become  one  of  its  greatest  financial  leaders. 

"His  life  all  these  years  has  been  lived  with  great  simplic- 
ity, constant  labor,  and  great  personal  frugality. 

"He  stands  today  a  patriarch  ruling  with  a  gentle  hand 
over  a  people  blessed  with  such  prosperity  as  few  religious 
bodies  have  ever  known."* 

In  1906,  he  visited  the  missions  of  Europe,  the  first  Presi- 
dent of  the  Church  who  did  so  while  occupying  that  position. 
He  spoke  in  a  number  of  nations  and  bore  his  testimony  to  the 
divinity  of  the  great  organization  which  he  represented.  He 
visited  Canada  and  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  was  frequently, 
almost  constantly,  in  the  midst  of  his  people,  in  the  stakes  of 
Zion.  Wherever  he  went,  there  assembled  unusually  large 
gatherings  of  Saints  and  strangers  to  hear  him.  His  instructions, 
counsel,  doctrinal  declarations,  and  advice  on  practical  topics 
relating  to  the  daily  life  and  welfare  of  the  people,  were  lis- 
tened to  with  the  utmost  attention,  and  largely  adopted,  to  the 
benefit,  blessing  and  joy  of  those  who  heard.  His  printed  ser- 
mons would  fill  many  volumes.  A  compilation  of  selections 


*See  Improvement  Era,  June,  1916,  Vol.  19,  p.  669. 


178  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

from  his  sermons  and  writings  was  prepared  just  before  his 
death.  These  were  later  printed  by  the  Committee  on  Study  for 
the  Priesthood  Quorums,  in  a  700  page  volume,  entitled, 
"Gospel  Doctrine,"  June  2,  1919;  and  up  to  the  close  of  1920, 
three  large  editions  had  been  sold,  indicating  the  popularity  of 
the  author.  The  book  contains  practically  every  essential 
teaching  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  concerning  the  present  life 
and  the  life  hereafter,  treated  in  wisdom  and  moderation,  and 
is  sound  in  precept  and  tenet.  President  Smith  was  all  worthy 
of  the  title,  "Preacher  of  Righteousness."  Next  to  Joseph 
the  Prophet  and  Brigham  Young  the  Pioneer,  he  was  a  builder 
of  temples  and  houses  of  worship,  and  the  number  of  ward  and 
stake  houses  built  in  his  time,  exceed  those  of  any  other  like 
period.  As  a  man  of  business,  it  can  well  be  said,  he  was  suc- 
cessful in  a  high  degree:  conservative,  but  progressive;  thrifty, 
without  being  frugal  to  excess,  and  never  before  in  the  history 
of  the  Church  was  business  enterprise  more  successful,  either 
with  the  Church  itself  or  with  the  people,  than  during  his  in- 
cumbency. Much  of  the  progress  of  public  and  Church  affairs 
was  stimulated  by  his  forethought  and  consideration,  by  his 
inspiration  from  the  Lord  freely  disseminated  among  the  people, 
and  his  ability  to  gather  able  men  about  him  who  cooperated 
with  him  for  the  advancement  of  the  Church,  the  state,  and 
the  community.  He  showed  great  tenderness  for  his  large  and 
honorable  family.  When  the  boys  and  girls  gathered  around 
him,  at  the  last  moments,  he  expressed  his  great  satisfaction 
in  these  words,  referring  to  his  wives  and  children:  "I  have 
reached  the  treasure  of  my  life,  the  whole  substance  that  makes 
life  worth  living."  His  passing  marked  an  epoch  in  the  history 
of  the  Church,  for  he  was  the  last  of  the  old  school  of  veteran 
leaders  who  pioneered  and  founded  our  inter-mountain  com- 
monwealths. 

His  body  rests  in  the  Salt  Lake  City  Cemetery.  Hundreds 
of  thousands  mourn  his  passing,  and  revere  his  memory.  Ow- 
ing to  an  epidemic  of  sickness,  public  funeral  services  could 
not  be  held,  but  large  numbers  attended  the  exercises  at  the 
cemetery.  Thousands  thronged  the  streets.  Out  of  respect 
to  the  President  and  his  family,  the  majority  of  business  houses 
closed,  for  the  noon  hour,  during  the  exercises  at  the  cemetery. 
By  order  of  Bishop  Joseph  S.  Glass,  the  great  bell  in  the 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  'CHURCH.  179 

Catholic  Cathedral  tolled  a   solemn   requiem,    as  the  throngs 
gathered. 

At  the  June,  1919,  General  Conference,  all  the  authori- 
ties eulogized  the  name,  labors,  and  achievements,  of  this 
faithful  servant  of  the  Lord,  and  powerful  Preacher  of 
Righteousness. 

9.     Heber  Jeddy  Grant  Chosen  President. 

President  Grant  was  born  on  the  22nd  day  of  November, 
1856,  in  the  Thirteenth  ward,  on  the  lot  where  the  Z.  C.  M.  I. 
is  now  located,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  His  father,  Jedediah 
Morgan  Grant,  in  his  day  was  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic 
and  most  zealous  workers  in  the  Church;  and  his  mother, 
Rachel  Ridgeway  Ivins,  was  one  of  the  bright  and  noble  hero- 
ines of  Zion. 

President  Grant  is  the  only  son  of  his  mother,  but  has  a 
number  of  brothers  and  sisters  who  bear  his  father's  name.  He 
is  the  thirty-third  apostle  chosen  in  the  Church,  its  seventh 
president,  and  the  first  man  born  in  Utah  who  was  chosen  a 
member  of  the  Twelve;  also  the  first  native  son  who  has  oc- 
cupied the  position  of  President  of  the  Church.  It  is  a  strange 
coincidence  that  President  Francis  M.  Lyman,  whom  he  suc- 
ceeded as  President  of  the  Twelve,  and  President  Joseph  F. 
Smith,  whom  he  succeeded  as  President  of  the  Church,  were 
both  buried  on  his  birthday  anniversary,  the  former  in  1916, 
and  the  latter  in  1918.  He  was  chosen  to  succeed  the  former  on 
November  23,  1916,  and  the  latter,  November  23,  1918,  the 
day  following  his  natal  day,  his  sixtieth  and  sixty-second  an- 
niversaries respectively. 

President  Grant's  first  act  was  the  choice  pf  his  counselors 
—the  wise,  the  true,  the  tried  and  experienced  leaders,  Presi- 
dents Anthon  H.  Lund  and  Charles  W.  Penrose,  men  of  un- 
bounded integrity  and  stability  of  character,  so  well  known  that 
their  names  needed  only  to  be  mentioned  to  receive  immediate 
and  unanimous  approbation. 

He  is  pre-eminently  a  business  man,  but  there  is  not  a 
man  in  all  the  Church  who  has  more  regard  for  its  spiritual 
welfare  than  Heber  J.  Grant.  His  admiration  for  and  obedience 
to  his  brethren  who  have  occupied  the  position  he  now  holds 


180  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

have  dominated  his  whole  career.  He  believes  implicitly  in 
the  inspiration  of  the  Lord  which  has. guided  them  in  all  their 
affairs.  He  is  liberal  to  a  fault,  helpful,  sympathetic,  with 
heart  and  ears  attuned  to  every  righteous  need  and  cause.  As 
a  business  man,  he  not  only  promptly  fulfills  his  promises  and 
keeps  his  appointments,  but  aims  to  give  value  received  for  all 
he  obtains ;  and  as  an  employer  treats  all  who  work  for  him  with 
liberality,  respect  and  consideration. 

His  successful  services  on  financial  missions  for  the  Church 
are  well  known.  His  energy,  determination,  and  his  belief  in 
work  as  a  winning  virtue,  are  inspirations  to  all  who  come  to 
know  him.  These  characteristics  are  prominent  in  all  the  mis- 
sions he  has  filled— secular  and  religious.  Among  the  latter  is 
one  to  Japan,  and  one  to  Great  Britain  and  Europe,  in  both  of 
which  he  presided  over  the  missions.  When  he  sets  out  to  win, 
he  is  determined  to  obtain  the  goal,  taking  genuine  pleasure  in 
laboring  to  accomplish  results. 

It  is  so  in  all  his  efforts.  When  he  once  sets  out  to  do  a 
work,  there  is  no  relaxation  until  it  is  finished.  He  has  im- 
plicit faith  in  the  divinity  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints,  a  faith  founded  more  on  the  inspiration 
of  Ihe  Holy  Ghost,  answer  to  prayer,  and  the  goodness  of  God 
to  him,  to  the  Church,  its  leaders  and  members,  than  from  any 
extended  doctrinal  study,  or  technical  knowledge  of  its  theology 
or  philosophy. 

President  Grant's  life  is  full  of  testimonies  that  God  lives 
and  answers  prayer,  that  Joseph  Smith  is  a  prophet  of  God, 
and  that  the  Church  which  he  was  instrumental  in  founding  is 
divinely  established  by  revelation  from  God  the  Father  and 
his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  the  Church,  Sunday,  10  a.m., 
June  1,  1919,  a  solemn  assembly  of  the  Priesthood  and  members 
of  the  Church  was  held,  and  the  action  of  the  Council  of  Twelve 
in  choosing  and  ordaining  President  Grant  was  unanimously 
confirmed,  and  all  the  other  authorities  were  likewise  sustained 
as  named  in  chapter  7. 

The  scene  from  the  stand,  as  the  many  thousands  of  men 
stood  up,  quorum  by  quorum,  to  vote,  their  right  hands  raised 
to  the  square,  was  the  most  impressive,  stately,  and  dignified 
religious  solemnity  that  the  eyes  of  man  ever  beheld,  not  to 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  181 

speak  of  the  scene,  when  the  whole  audience,  ten  thousand  in 
number,  covenanted  unanimously  in  like  manner  to  sustain 
their  chosen  leaders. 

As  the  burdens  and  responsibilities  of  his  new  and  ex- 
alted position  multiply  upon  him,  President  Grant  will  grow 
in  ability  and  strength  to  bear  them.  All  faithful  Latter-day 
Saints  have  so  far  joined,  and  so  will  continue  to  join,  in 
prayer  and  deeds  to  make  his  administration  strong,  progressive, 
and  pleasing  and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  our  heavenly  Father. 

10.     Conclusion. 

Viewing,  as  in  the  foregoing,  the  panorama  of  the  event- 
ful past,  the  prosperity  of  the  present  appears  marvelous  in 
our  eyes — the  future  lustrous  with  bright  promise. 

The  Latter-day  Saints  are  a  happy,  prosperous,  God- 
fearing, virtuous  people,  s'teadily  increasing  in  numbers  and 
good  works.  Thrift,  cleanliness,  good  order,  peace,  and  so- 
briety are  among  their  characteristics.  While  they  are  not 
wealthy,  they  generally  own  their  homes,  lands  and  herds. 
God  has  blessed  the  land  because  of  them;  and  for  their  sakes 
the  earth  has  yielded  an  abundance. 

Believers  in  education,  they  are  foremost  in  giving  their 
offspring  the  advantages  of  a  true  training.  Their  children  are 
steady  attendants  at  the  public  schools  which  are  found  in 
every  city,  village  and  hamlet  where  they  abide.  Besides  the 
institutions  of  learning  founded  by  President  Young,  President 
Woodruff,  realizing  that  true  education  is  based  upon  a  correct 
theology,  counseled  the  organization  of  a  Church  school  system 
which  has  grown  until  the  colleges,  academies  and  seminaries 
now  number  22.  These  are  found,  one  in  Canada,  one  in  Wyo- 
ming, four  in  Idaho,  one  in  Colorado,  three  in  Arizona,  one  in 
Mexico,  one  in  Hawaii,  and  ten  in  Utah.  The  annual  cost  of 
maintenance  is  approximately  $750,000;  and  in  1920  there  were 
8,392  students  enrolled  mostly  of  College  grade,  because  the 
Church  schools  are  all  of  secondary  or  College  grade,  except 
those  in  Mexico,  Canada  and  in  the  Islands. 

Hundreds  of  young  missionaries  go  forth  yearly  to  all 
parts  of  the  earth,  and  return  having  their  minds  stored  with 
fresh  thoughts,  new  conceptions,  advanced  opinions,  which  are 


182  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

assimilated  by  the  Saints,  adding  new  vigor  and  life  to  the 
community.  A  host  of  children  are  being  trained  in  the  Sabbath 
schools,  while  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  young  men  and 
young  ladies,  are  studying  the  principles  of  religion,  social 
duties,  history  and  literature,  in  the  Mutual  Improvement 
Associations.  The  quorums  of  the  Priesthood  are  training 
their  members  for  the  duties  of  the  ministry,  and  the  practical 
labors  of  life;  while  the  Relief  Societies,  Primary  associations 
and  Religion  classes  are  adding  worthy  efforts  towards  the 
general  progress  and  well-being  of  the  community. 

The  people  of  our  own  country,  and  of  the  earth  are  be- 
coming more  favorable  to  the  Saints  as  their  virtues  and  de- 
signs are  better  understood. 

What  of  the  future?  What  of  the  destiny  of  this  vigorous, 
progressive  people? 

Their  faith  is  designed  for  the  happiness,  well-being,  and 
salvation,  temporal  and  spiritual,  of  all  the  creatures  of  God. 
It  is  exemplified  by  them  in  noble  and  practical  work.  Their 
religion  has  inherent  elements  of  strength,  rooted  in  the  re- 
vealed truths  of  Deity,  that  insure  its  perpetuity.  "Mormon- 
ism"  is  not  the  work  of  men,  but  is  the  work  of  God.  Its  doc- 
trines have  been  established  for  a  wise  purpose  in  him,  to  pre- 
pare mankind  for  Christ's  second  coming  and  reign  on  earth. 
In  short,  so-called  "Mormonism,"  broad  in  scope,  tolerant, 
truth-seeking,  is  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  as  such  is 
destined  to  be  the  religion  of  the  future.  Its  truths,  built 
upon  direct  revelation  from  God,  are  constantly  gaining 
ground,  and  correspond  perfectly  to  the  needs  of  the  age. 

The  one-hundredth  anniversary  of  the  prophet's  first 
vision  has  been  appropriately  celebrated  by  the  Church.  The 
centennial  of  its  organization  is  looming  only  a  decade  in  the 
future.  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  has 
entered  upon  the  third  ten-years  of  the  20th  century,  full  of 
bounteous  promise  and  with  resplendent  prospects  in  view. 


THE  END. 


i-mm . 


m 


